


the greatest distance from the sun

by extra kanin (gracon_bacon)



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, Getting Back Together, Graphic Depictions of Angst, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Minor Mention or Assumption of Abuse, Mpreg, Parentage Crisis, Past Relationship(s), Slow Burn, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2018-08-30 15:43:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 27,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8538814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gracon_bacon/pseuds/extra%20kanin
Summary: After winning gold in the Grand Prix, Yuuri announces his retirement from the figure skating scene to continue his studies while Victor declares that he’s returning to Russia to fully launch his career as a coach. A scandal erupts not long after Victor's return, and Yuuri effectively disappears not only from Victor's life but also from the public spotlight. It’s not a surprise, then, that the first piece of news Victor hears about Yuuri after six months is another stolen video of the omega. The video itself, though…It’s of a heavily-pregnant Yuuri, shopping for baby clothes with Christophe Giacometti.All hell breaks loose.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bocchama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bocchama/gifts), [assasage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/assasage/gifts).



> Wrote this at 3 AM. Decided to at least pretend I could contribute to NaNoWriMo and the YoI fandom at the same time. Not sure if I succeeded. Unbeta'ed, unedited, and mostly introspective. Will update weekly, or semi-weekly.
> 
> Standard Medical Disclaimer: This features a lot of angst, as well as sometimes-faulty assumptions by an unreliable narrator. If you experience any physical pain from reading this fic, please, _please_ take a break from reading it and, if it's serious, consult a medical professional. Thank you.
> 
> For bocchama and assassage, who suffered years of my pathetic undergrad existence and humored me whenever I wrote something crappy. Here you go, loves. It isn't the Cherik telenovela that I wanted to write ages ago, but still. Hugs and kisses <3
> 
> I will delete mean comments. This is a fanwork. This is something that's supposed to be fun. If at any point you get sick or tired of this fic, stop reading it and move on to a different one. In short, **don't like, don't read**. Thank you.

Victor is no stranger to scandal. After all, scandals are a nigh-essential part of the celebrity package, and, as an old flame of his once said, there’s nothing wrong with a few as long as it’s nothing that will get him in trouble with his sponsors and the ISU. Short of illegal drug use and full-blown sex videos, anything that gives him a media presence every few weeks is always good press.

So when a video of him drunkenly making out with some up-and-coming female omega skater, whose name he doesn’t even remember, goes viral on the internet just three months after he left Japan, he mostly takes it in stride. He does the necessary interviews, ignores the enraged messages from the skaters who were privy to the real nature of his and Yuuri’s past relationship, and uses the opportunity to introduce his career and his new students to the world. He plays the press, as well as his fans, so effectively that he wonders if he should have become a talent manager instead of a coach. He knows how to play the big game: give them everything and nothing at the same time if you want the bad press to disappear faster.

In the next three months that follow, the usual allegations of him fathering a child with several women start popping up in the tabloids again. He wonders why they still try, because really, he’s had a default statement for these ever since he was old enough to legally have sex: he’s sorry, he doesn’t know her, he’s not the father of the child, and that he’s willing to do a paternity test to settle everyone’s minds. The normalcy of it rankles on him. Same old, same old, the way his life had been before he left Russia for Yuuri.

Oh, Yuuri.

Six months. He left Yuuri six months ago. It was an amicable split; Yuuri was accepted for a master’s program in a top university in Switzerland, while Victor was offered to go back to Russia to be a coach at his old rink and take some of Yakov’s charges. He knew he couldn’t bring Yuuri with him to Russia, what with the blatant discrimination against male omegas and the current political climate between the two countries, and Yuuri wasn’t willing to hold Victor back from fulfilling his career.

_ They were sitting on the floor of Victor’s room in Yu-topia, packing the first of Victor’s belongings to their respective boxes when Yuuri spoke out in a small voice. “Victor?” _

_ “Yes, solnyshko?” Victor turned to look at his lover. Yuuri was fidgeting, clearly nervous about something. Was this about their impending long-distance relationship again? They already talked about how they were going to keep their relationship by frequently communicating online and Victor flying to Zurich every few weeks. Yuuri protested about spending too much money on the flights, especially since Victor waived the coaching fee and any compensation for his expenses, but Victor already said that money really wasn’t a problem. Honestly, Yuuri’s growing anxiety was worrying him even more, to the point where he was thinking about finally asking Yuuri to bond if it would help calm down the omega. So what was it now? _

_ He must have said the last words out loud because Yuuri suddenly turned rigid and silent. The omega’s scent shifted from nervous to dejected almost immediately, and Victor quickly hugged him from behind, blanketing Yuuri in his scent and warmth. He buried his face in the crook of Yuuri’s neck, gently nudging behind the swell of the omega’s mating glands to calm him down, and soon enough, Yuuri relaxed into his embrace and shifted to wrap his arms over Victor’s. _

_ They sat there in silence for a few seconds, cuddling and basking in each other’s scents as Yuuri’s demeanor went back to normal. Yuuri’s mood swings have gotten worse the closer they got to Yuuri’s heat, and the fact that Victor was scheduled to leave in three weeks made the omega’s preheat anxiety even worse. This heat was going to be their last shared one until they could schedule a joint vacation too… _

_ Victor pressed a chaste kiss on Yuuri’s hair and held the omega even tighter. “What is it, Yuuri?” _

_ The omega simply sighed before shifting from the embrace and turning to face Victor. The omega was more composed now, and in his eyes was that firm look that first took Victor by surprise in the Cup of China. This time, though, instead of a promise, behind that firm look was sadness. _

_ And Victor knew. “Yuuri...” _

_ “I think we should let each other go.” _

Even now, months after their breakup, the memory of it still pierces through his chest, but Victor respected Yuuri’s decision to pursue a higher calling, even if meant a pause (and not necessarily an end) to their romantic relationship. He understood that it wasn’t the right time for them. They were both adults, basking in a love untested by distance and time. The fact that Yuuri made up his mind and chose to let go despite all the sacrifices Victor was willing to make proved that their love was still too young. That whole year of exclusive training was an extended honeymoon, a time when they lived in each other’s pockets, free from the responsibilities that awaited them in the aftermath of the Grand Prix. While Victor was entirely willing to ignore said responsibilities, Yuuri was far too pragmatic to believe that they could survive the onslaught.

He knew now, however, that he will always regret his biggest mistake: he didn’t fight for their love. Yuuri made his case well, but Victor knew that if he just pushed for it, if only he managed to convince Yuuri that they would make it, that they could support each other as lovers do despite the distance, then Yuuri would have folded. Instead, he simply conceded without any protest. He respected Yuuri’s decision, even when it brought both of them anguish and despair. He loved Yuuri too much to not let him go. Their love was selfish as much as it was selfless, and in the end, it led them to this: Apart, and alone, away from the home they had found within each other.

In the end, Yuuri was right. Apparently, three months was enough time for Victor to wreck any chance he had to convince Yuuri of his faithfulness. When Mila and the older skaters of their skating club decided to drag him to a “real” Russian party, he woke up the next morning, alone in his bed without any recollection of getting home, to a deluge of notifications. Only one of them, in the middle of the flood of tags to those pictures from last night, was a private message from Yuuri.

_ Hi, Victor. I’m deactivating all of my social media accounts so I can focus on my studies. You were right, juggling school and work at the same time is difficult. It’s fulfilling, but I don’t have time for anything else anymore. _

_ I saw the picture. I hope you’re happy with her! _

_ If you need to contact me, just call our inn’s number. They’ll relay your call to me. _

_ Wishing you well, _

_ Yuuri. _

Yuuri hasn’t contacted him since, and now Victor’s too ashamed to call Yuuri’s parents. That window of opportunity has long passed, and it’s just another regret in Victor’s life.

_ If only these thoughts didn’t plague me every single day _ , he thought as he stared at the ceiling of his bedroom, listening to Makkachin’s soft dog snores from the foot of his bed. He went to bed at eleven, and he’s quite sure it’s been at least an hour since he laid down. He’s been using his workaholic tendencies to curb his insomnia, but it’s gotten much worse recently to the point where he might have to take sleeping pills or other medication.

He’s startled out of his calm when Yurio's ringtone blares the silence away. That in itself is unusual; Yurio knows never to disturb Victor after ten unless it’s an emergency. Victor quickly sits up from his bed and snatches his phone from his nightstand. “Yuri?”

“Oy, Victor, have you seen your Instagram? I’ve been tagging you several times but you won’t respond!”

“Did you call me in the middle of the night just to tell me to check my Instagram!?” He says with an annoyed tone, one that always comes out whenever the teenager ticks him off. “I’m confident I haven’t done anything...”

“Idiot, it’s not you! It’s Katsuki Yuuri!”

Now that finally piques Victor’s attention. He doesn’t even end the call and simply minimizes it to open his Instagram, and the flood of notifs reminds him of the scandal from four months ago. But why are they all tagging him in a picture of Yuuri? The thumbnail is too small for him to see from the notifs, so he opens it and ...

There it was.

It’s a stolen shot, a video of a pregnant Asian omega wearing one of Victor’s old jackets. Beside him is a laughing Christophe Giacometti, and they’re clearly in the infants’ section of a department store, picking onesies from a selection of baby clothes. The omega’s face isn’t clear, but Victor could recognize that posture, that jacket, that laughing voice anywhere.

It was Yuuri.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, have some more Victor introspection, and a surprise extra canon pair. We'll have Victor out of Russia tomorrow, I promise!

He tries calling Yu-topia’s telephone, and when he’s greeted by an answering machine, he scours his contacts looking for every other Katsukis’ mobile number. None of them answer. He sends a quick text to Yurio and finds out that the Nishigori family is also unreachable.

Victor’s close to ripping his already thinning hair off with frustration. The celebrity in him knows that they’re probably doing this to avoid the incessant calls from the media (and particularly nosy fans), but the normal Victor is upset at how he has been kept out of the loop, as if he hadn’t spent a whole year of his life with them.

So this is why Yuuri disappeared? Why didn’t Yuuri tell him? He knows Yuuri isn’t good at keeping contact with people, but surely with their history…? Or is it because of their history?

Victor tosses and turns on his bed, and he moves so much he accidentally kicks Makkachin. The poor dog yelps as she awakes, whining at being disturbed. He shushes her and gently glides his foot on her soft fur to calm her down, and only when she turns quiet does he replay the video again.

The video starts with Yuuri holding a garish purple leotard. “This one looks like Georgi’s costume in the SP China. Remember that one, Chris?”

Chris’s boisterous laugh rings through the air, and whoever took the video was clearly trying to stifle her laughter too. Meanwhile, Yuuri sheepishly lowered his head to avoid their gaze, and Chris simply puts an arm around Yuuri’s shoulder to calm him down.

‘Since when have they been that close?’ Yuuri had said that Chris was a good friend, though Victor had seen the overly-handsy Beta touch Yuuri inappropriately several times. Yuuri never really minded Chris’s bad-touching, which, when he thinks about it, is odd considering how he shied away from Victor’s touches back in the day.

Not long after, Yuuri grabs another onesie again, and this time it’s a leopard print romper. He holds it up, and when Chris sees it, they both grin and start laughing while Chris takes his phone out to take a picture.

The video stops there. Victor is tempted to watch it one more time, but he feels Makkachin shift, and this time the dog moves to burrow at his side, rubbing her cold nose against the back of his shoulder. “Aha, Makkachin, that tickles!” He says before petting the dog and shifting so he could wrap an arm around her, and when she settles her head on his shoulder, he grabs his phone and replays the video again.

Makkachin’s reaction when she hears Yuuri is instantaneous; she raises her head from her shoulder and tackles him so she could hear the source of Yuuri’s voice. It’s a messy tangle of fur and limbs before he finally finds a position that suits them, and oh, the joy from Makkachin makes him feel guilty for taking her away from Yuuri.  _ She misses him too _ , he thinks, and the idea of Makkachin suffering because of their split makes him hug her even closer. She must be lonely after being in the company of several people for a whole year, only to return to this quiet solitude she was forced to endure because of Victor. Come to think of it, he hadn’t even brought her out to play at the dog park in a while.

_ This is all your fault _ , the voice in his head says.  _ You shouldn’t have left Yuuri _ .

He squeezes Makkachin’s fur one more time before deciding that yes, it’s time to fix this mess.

Of course, it’s much easier said than done. He has responsibilities here, not to mention students who rely on him for training, and he ends up burying himself in even more work on his day off. It’s not unusual for him to lounge at the rink’s seats during Sundays when it’s open to the public and the casual weekend students, but the stack of folders beside him is definitely an oddity. He’s too busy reassigning every single one of his athletes to the best coaches for their level of discipline, as well as making reports of each student’s strengths and weaknesses for their future coaches, to notice his surroundings.

“Victor!”

He jumps a bit at that and turns to the direction of the voice. It’s Georgi, skating from one side of the rink towards Victor. The younger skater looks dour, though Victor can only guess why. “What is it?”

“Yakov wants to meet you at his office now. Something about stopping you from doing something irresponsible again?”

Victor shakes his head. Ah, Yakov. The man has served as a father figure to him ever since he started skating, but Victor knows he’s the most obnoxious of all of Yakov’s ‘kids.’ Best not to keep the man waiting, then. He gives Georgi a nod before setting the folder he’s holding back to the stack, and he makes his way to the offices at the other side of the rink.

It feels a bit like being summoned to the director’s office back in  _ technikum  _ when he was caught necking with a teacher’s 16-year-old daughter. He’d just won his first gold medal back then and was overwhelmed by how ridiculously  _ easy  _ it was to get anyone to have sex with him now that he was famous. Needless to say, Yakov’s intimidation was the only reason why he wasn’t kicked out. He still quit in his second year to focus on training, but he’ll always owe Yakov for that one.

He owes his coach too much. He’ll owe him again for what he’s going to do.

When he steps into the room he’s surprised to see that Yakov’s not alone. All of Victor’s fellow assistant coaches are there, though they look like they’ve just arrived too, while Yakov’s still busy typing on his laptop. He’s guessing they were all waiting for him. “Yakov? You called for me?”

His former coach looks up from his laptop and promptly closes it. Victor’s more suspicious now. Yakov’s wearing reading glasses, and...Oh, this is bad. Still, he takes the seat closest to Yakov’s table because, this sounds like  _ important business _ , and Victor needs all the brownie points he can get. 

Yakov removes his glasses and looks at each of them in the eye. His gaze lingers on Victor, as if he already  _ knew _ , but he looks away and addresse the whole room. “By the end of this season, I’m retiring. I need the three of you to take my place.”

They all share a collective “What!?” and Victor’s heart pounds in fear. Nothing short of dying would make Yakov quit, so there has to be a greater reason. “Why, Yakov? Are you sick? Dying?”

Yakov sneers at Victor. “I’m perfectly healthy, thank you. But I’ve decided to retire as head coach of this rink.”

“If you’re not dying, then why are you retiring!? I thought skating was your life!” says one of the other coaches (it’s horrible that Victor doesn’t even know their names after six months of working alongside them) and Victor finds himself nodding as well. No one has shown more dedication to the art and science of coaching than Yakov.

The older man lets out a long-suffering sigh, then shakes his head. “I’m re-marrying Lilia and retiring as a coach. I will still be available for consultation, but it is time for me to leave.” At that, the old man makes a small smile, one that Victor would have missed if he wasn’t close enough. He hasn’t seen Yakov smile like that in ages, not since Victor won his second gold medal, and it’s...it’s humbling to see Yakov be happy for once.

He doesn’t pay attention to the rest of the meeting. The guilt he feels about leaving more work for Yakov so late in the season eats at him, and he knows that it’s more practical to just shove the idea and stay. This is his job, his responsibility, and he has no right to be an inconvenience to everyone. He knows Yakov and Yurio never fully forgave him for leaving last year at a whim, and that was at the end of the season. Now? He’s sure Yakov will be beyond furious when he tells him.

Victor ruminates so much, he doesn’t notice Yakov dismissing the other assistant coaches. Henearly jumps on his seat when Yakov says his name. “Victor. Were you even listening?”

He blinks quickly before nodding, then shaking his head. “Sorry Yakov. There are so many things in my mind right now. I’m happy for you and Lilia. But I’ll miss you.”

Yakov looks him in the eye, and the old man’s gaze is unnerving. Victor expects to be scolded anytime soon, but Yakov’s ire is nowhere to be seen. Instead, his former coach just gives another sigh. “You’re leaving again, aren’t you, Victor?”

Victor nods. “Yes. I need to...”

“I understand.”

Victor blinks. “Wait, what?”

Yakov puts a hand on his shoulder. “Do not make my mistake. There is life beyond the ice, Vitya. Enjoy it while you’re still young.”

The small smile on Yakov’s face is enough to make Victor calm down, and he quickly shifts to squeeze Yakov’s hands. “Thank you. Thank you so much, Yakov. I’m sorry for...”

Yakov interrupts him with a groan. “But you’re not leaving until you finish those charts! And explain everything to your skaters...”

_ Oh, Yakov,  _ Victor thinks as he drowns out the rest of the man’s rant,  _ may you never change. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't slept since I posted the first chapter and wow, 350 kudos? I can feel the pressure now. Thanks, everyone! I'll read and reply to the comments after I get some zzz's. 
> 
> I'm not that happy with this chapter, but I figured, well, the point of NaNoWriMo is to write, write, write --- and edit later. I hope it's still okay lol
> 
> I love you all.


	3. Chapter 3

The afternoon flight from St. Petersburg to Zürich is short but punishing. One hour into the flight and Makkachin’s already antsy at being forced to stay stationary in her carrier. Normally she would be allowed to leave her carrier, but the middle-aged man sitting in front of them complained about his fur allergy, so Makkachin had no choice but to stay there. Victor’s sure that his distress is also making it even worse for her; she has always been sensitive to any changes in his scent and mood. By the time the plane starts its final descent, she’s already whining very loudly, and by the sounds of it, he’s sure that she’s uncomfortable with her travel diaper. “Sorry, Makkachin, this will just be for a few more minutes, okay?” he says as he pets her on the head, and she obediently stays silent for the rest of the trip.

They arrive at Kloten airport after four grueling hours, but they spend another hour at the customs and quarantine queue and one more in the taxi cab from the airport to a hotel near the university that Yuuri’s attending. By the time they reach the comfort of their hotel room, it’s already dinnertime, and Makkachin’s whining again, though this time she’s begging to be fed. Victor himself is feeling faint from the hunger and exhaustion too, but he’s too tired to order room service and instead opts to grab an energy drink from the minibar in his room while he prepares Makkachin’s dish.

As soon as Makkachin smells the dog food, she nearly tackles him again in a race to get fed, and Victor backs away when she starts inhaling her food. She’s just as agitated as he is, and he’d rather not get bitten by his own dog. Instead, he sits on his bed, gulping down his drink while he connects his phone to the internet’s wifi.

At this point, the deluge of notifs on his Instagram isn’t much of a surprise anymore. One of the downsides of being a celebrity is the lack of privacy, one that Yuuri had absolutely hated. He’s in the middle of typing a message to the Yuri’s Instagram account when he receives another notif in-app, a message from...

From Chris, of all people. He glares at the notification for a moment before clicking on it, and his half-baked message to Yurio is immediately forgotten when he sees the new messages.

**christophe-gc: I know you’re here in Zürich.**

**christophe-gc: Yuuri’s not ready to see you yet.**

**christophe-gc: So please don’t look for him.**

The gall of this man...Victor’s close to throwing his phone as a sudden wave of anger washes over him. He knows it’s irrational, that he’s just jealous of the other man’s apparent relationship with Yuuri, but the primal, Alpha part of his brain yearns for a fight.

He takes deep breaths to calm himself down, As much as he wants to shoot the messenger, Victor knows that Chris is probably telling the truth. Yuuri abhors confrontations and, seeing as how his beloved is pregnant...No matter who the father is, he doesn’t want the baby to suffer from the stress a cornered Yuuri will doubtlessly feel. He’ll have to tread carefully if he wants the omega to feel comfortable with him again.

He sets his phone aside and stares at the ceiling. For the past week, he has been too busy sorting most of his unfinished business with Yakov to think about what he’s going to do to get Yuuri back. If Yuuri even wants him back.

That was a sobering thought. He’s had far too many sobering, defeatist thoughts lately.

‘Oh, Yuuri. Look what you do to me.’

He’s tired. He feels the weight his twenty-eight years bearing down on his shoulders as he looks at Chris’s more youthful face. Come to think of it, he hasn’t checked anyone’s Instagram feeds lately. He’s been too busy working to catch up with the other skaters’ lives, and he fears that maybe he  _ is  _ getting too old to care about social media.

That thought sends a shiver down his spine. Best not to think about it, then. And he doubts Yuuri will care about his social media presence, seeing as the omega doesn’t even  _ have  _ one.

Victor turns the TV on before he could ruminate even more, and the first thing that greets him is a replay of the video. He realizes too late that the channel defaults to a famous tabloid channel, and when the video ends it flicks back to the talk show hosts.

An over-Botoxed old woman, whom he recognizes as a famous American Hollywood star but whose name he just can’t remember, speaks first. The camera does a close up of her sneer as the other younger hosts shake their heads. “I don’t know what’s going on here honey, but I’m sure that hottie with him ain’t the Russian who owns that jacket.”

“Don’t you know about Victor, mom?” says one of the hosts, whose face barely resembles that of her mother's. A picture of Victor winning his last gold medal pops up on the screen. “He’s one of the top Russian male figure skaters. Or he was until he suddenly flew to Japan to coach that omega skater there.”

The old woman makes a tutting sound. “Something tells me there’s more to this story than meets the eye.”

Her daughter’s about to say something else when she’s interrupted by another host, one of those flamboyant gay men that Hollywood just doesn’t seem to have a shortage of, and the man makes a loud, excited screech that makes poor Makkachin yelp. “Oh Melly, rumor has it that Yuuri over there wanted to bond with Victor, but Victor just threw him away and went back to Russia! Good riddance though, ‘cause our boy Victor got himself into quite a mess after that!” Then the picture of his video scandal pops up, and they all make a collective hiss.

“Well someone straightened themselves up fast,” the old woman says. He didn’t think her sneer could get worse, but it’s definitely a look of disgust now.

“I don’t understand why they still discriminate against male Alphas who choose male omegas. They’re still gonna get pregnant anyway. Those Russians really get their priorities mixed up,” says another female host, and all of them shake their heads. There’s radio silence for a few moments, then the same host speaks again, “But hey, it’s his loss. Looks like our Asian boy there got himself a hotter, younger squeeze, right?”

From there they focus on Christophe Giacometti, and Victor quickly turns the TV off. He knows that the tabloids love spreading rumors and that it’s futile to watch American trash, but their quick judgment of him bothers him. Is that what everybody thinks of him? What do his fans even think about this whole fiasco?

He’s not sure if he even wants to know.

Victor’s getting up from his sitting position when he notices a slight change in his scent. Great. He forgot to take his scent inhibitors last night. Alpha’s don’t usually take inhibitors, but Victor realized early on in his career that the only way he’ll stay unrecognized in public is if he’s masking his scent. His face and hair stood out enough, and he has to keep a low profile if he doesn’t want the media to hound him.

He rummages through his main bag looking for his inhibitors, and he curses out loud when he realizes that he left his medicine bag in his apartment. ‘Really, Victor,’ he thinks to himself, ‘how much more irresponsible can you be?’ A cursory check of his extra luggage tells him that no, his inhibitors aren’t here and yes, he’s definitely at the height of irresponsibility right now. Yakov would have screamed at him by now.

Victor’s putting his coat back on when Makkachin barks at him. He quickly hugs her and kisses her between the eyes. “I’ll be back soon, okay? I’ll get something for you too.” Makkachin’s making small, distressed whines, and Victor’s heart aches at the sound. “I’m sorry Makkachin, I don’t want to leave but I’ll be back. So behave for me, okay, Makkachin? I’ll be back soon, I promise”

And as he repeats his promise over and over again, Makkachin’s distress slowly wanes. Soon enough she’s mostly back to normal, and with one last hug, Victor pulls away. The promises he made to her, of leaving but always coming back, strike a chord in him. If he could convince Makkachin, then why wasn’t he able to do the same for Yuuri? The situation was different, but surely he could have handled it better.

Regrets. He has more than a few.

He makes his way out of the hotel and looks for a taxi that can take him to the closest pharmacy, but the rush hour traffic still hasn’t abated, and the drivers just point him in the general direction of the pharmacy and tell him to just walk. It’s beyond frustrating, and he has to step back into the hotel and sit in the lounge so he can access their wifi again. Sure enough, there’s a pharmacy right outside his hotel, but it’s already closed for the night. There are several more when he checks the map, but none of them are open beyond 7 in the evening, and the only one that’s still open is the  _ Apotheke  _ near Bahnhofplatz.

He takes a screenshot of the map and leaves the hotel again, and though the map says it’s just a kilometer away, he finds himself panting when he reaches the pharmacy. Thankfully, there’s no queue, and Victor simply walks up to the pharmacist and gives her his prescription. Within a few minutes, he gets a new pack of inhibitors and is walking out of the door when he hears a small, familiar voice call out to him.

“Victor?”

Victor turns, and there he is, in the flesh. The one he came to Zurich for. Katsuki Yuuri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent 3 hours googling everything about Zurich until I was satisfied with what I had written. Please comment if you're a local and want to correct anything I got wrong! 
> 
> By the way, I'm on [tumblr](http://gervilla.tumblr.com/). Feel free to follow me. I don't bite!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta'ed. Delayed. But I hope you'll still like it.

“Yuuri?”

The world around them stands still, their surroundings blurring as they look into each other’s surprised eyes. The first thing Victor notices is the concealer under Yuuri’s lower eyelids, mixed terribly in an effort to hide the circles that still come through the makeup.

The next thing that bombards his senses is Yuuri’s scent. It’s wholly unfamiliar, entirely different from what Victor knew from Yuuri’s heats. Gone is the strong saccharine scent that reminded him of clementines, replaced instead by a mild vanilla, the telltale scent of a Beta.

It smells offensive. His inner alpha screams at him to  _ wash it off, replace it with yours, wrong wrong wrong. _

On the outside? The offensive smell makes him sneeze. Hard. Not once, nor twice, but at least five times.

He’s allergic to Yuuri’s new scent. Damn it all to hell.

When he’s finally done sneezing, he mutters a quick “Sorry” and looks at Yuuri again, but this time, the omega’s surprise is replaced by a small, fond smile. It takes Victor aback because  _ this is Yuuri, you’ve finally found him.  _ And for all his eloquence and charm, Victor’s rendered speechless by the smile on his ex’s face.

He knows he’s staring for too long when Yuuri’s smile turns to a shy, self-conscious wince, and it’s the omega who speaks first.

“It’s good to see you,” Yuuri says almost politely, and Victor would have bought it had he not known Yuuri enough to spot when the omega is faking sincerity.

“I didn’t think I’d see you here, of all places.” Victor’s tone is even, though inside he’s filled with trepidation and dread. Much as he’d like to think the contrary, he’s still surprised to meet Yuuri so soon, especially after Chris’s message. Now that the omega’s right in front of him, though...Victor falls back to his mask of charm and flamboyance. “I guess it must be fate.”

The look on Yuuri’s face is one that Victor has seen far too often, fond but exasperated by Victor’s antics. The omega’s about to say something when the pharmacy doors open, letting in a gaggle of noisy high school girls. They steer clear of the girls’ path and out of the  _ Apotheke  _ , and when they look at each other again, they both crack up and burst into soft laughter.

Here they are, ex-lovers in a foreign land, bumping into each other at the one place on earth where they least expected it.

It really must be fate.

“So where are you staying, here in Zurich?” Yuuri asks good-naturedly as they make their way to the Bahnhofplatz station.

“The Savoy. It’s close to your university, so...” Victor says reflexively, and he only realizes his slip when Yuuri stops walking. When he turns around, Victor sees the stricken look on Yuuri’s face. It’s the one expression on Yuuri’s face that he never wanted to see again, not since that time he made Yuuri break down in China.

Fear. Guilt. Despair. All of them rolled into one look.

‘Oh no, not here.’ Victor thinks. Someone’s going to notice, and Yuuri doesn’t need that kind of stress right now.

“I’m here on vacation, of course! Makkachin’s been antsy lately because I have to leave her at home all the time, so I decided to come here and see if you’d like to see her again.” It’s not entirely a lie, and Victor’s pretty sure Yuuri doesn’t buy it either. It sounds too much like an excuse even to Victor’s ears. Still, the pregnant omega perks up at the mention of Makkachin, and that’s really good enough for Victor right now.

Yuuri’s voice is soft, but with an undertone of excitement. “So Makkachin’s with you?”

_ Crisis averted. _

Victor gives Yuuri an enthusiastic nod. “She heard your voice on your old presscon video and wouldn’t stop whimpering until I told her she could see you again.” The half-truth slides a little too easily from his lips, but by the look on Yuuri’s face, at least it worked.

“Really?” Yuuri’s even more elated now, all hints of the morose mood from earlier entirely gone from his face. Truth be told, Makkachin probably loves Yuuri more than she does Victor, and it’s telling that he doesn’t feel any betrayal from that fact.

“Mm. She really hasn’t been the same since we left Japan. She misses you so much.” The ‘and I do too,’ is unspoken but not unheard, and they fall into silence as they reach the gates of the train station.

They must look like displaced travelers with how they’re standing silently beside the station gates. The weight of their six-month separation, and the proverbial elephant in the room that was Yuuri’s baby bump,  is now impossible to ignore. Victor’s still trying to find the right words when Yuuri finally breaks the silence. “Um, Victor?”

“Yes?”

“I know you must have questions. And that you came all the way here to see me,” Yuuri says in a solemn tone. Victor’s all too ready to defend his excuses, but Yuuri just gives him a withering look and continues, “But I’m not ready to talk about those just yet.”

Yuuri had always been the type to just push even when the omega couldn’t take it anymore. Victor can tell that it took a lot from the omega to admit this. Perhaps the past six months have changed Yuuri, maybe for the better. “I understand. You didn’t expect me here, and I didn’t inform you either.”

Yuuri nods, and they share a quiet moment of peace before the younger man speaks up again. “I’m not pushing you away. Not this time. But it’s late and I still have class tomorrow.”

“I know, Yuuri.” Victor knows Yuuri’s schedule. They were still together when Yuuri signed up for his courses online. “But before you go, please give me your number.”

The omega blinks, a surprised look on his face. “You still have it, don’t you?”

Victor blinks for a few moments, and then ... Only then does it occur to Victor that, of all the people he called in Japan to ask about Yuuri, he didn’t even think of trying  _ Yuuri  _ ’s number. He just assumed that Yuuri cut him off entirely when the omega sent him that message. After months without contact, with Yuuri in an entirely different country, he thought that the omega must have gotten a new number and chose not to contact Victor with it.

_ Oh God, I’ve been a fool. _

_ Yuuri must have thought that I cut him off. _

“You didn’t get a Swiss number?” Victor says aloud, still dazed at the realization that he could have contacted Yuuri this whole time.

Yuuri’s clearly perplexed at Victor’s answer. “I got a new phone. But I’m still keeping the older one. It’s cheaper to call to Japan with a roaming number.”

“Oh.”

“Why? Did you think I would just…” Yuuri trails off, and Victor’s senses pick up on the slight tinge of salt in the air, and he sees tears well up in Yuuri’s eyes. The omega quickly shakes his head to hide it, of course. “Sorry. My moods have been worse lately.”

_ That was a clear lie  _ , Victor thinks, but he knows better than to say it out loud. Instead, he puts a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder and squeezes it, making the omega blink in surprise. “I still have the same number too. Send me a text when you get home.”

The omega blinks a few more times before giving him a nod. When Victor lets go of Yuuri’s shoulder, the omega gives him a small smile. “See you soon, Victor. Hug Makkachin for me, okay?”

Victor only nods, and when Yuuri turns and leaves, the sight brings back a memory of that day, six months ago, when Yuri bade him goodbye at the airport.

_ It’s a busy day at the inn, so Yuuri’s the only one to drop Victor off before his flight. They spend the train ride in relative silence, broken only by Makkachin’s confused whines, and even the cab to the airport is just as stressful. There’s so much tension in the air that their dog is picking up. Victor’s mood sours even more when Makkachin goes to Yuuri for comfort.  _

_ He’s not sure he can deal with this right now. _

_ He leaves Makkachin with Yuuri at the well-wishers area while he deals with checking in his luggage and getting boarding passes for himself and his dog. It takes only a few minutes for him to get everything sorted, but he takes his sweet time walking back to Yuuri and Makkachin, knowing that Yuuri needs to say his goodbyes to Makkachin.  _

_ Sure enough, when Victor gets back, Yuuri is hugging Makkachin tight and stroking her back while the dog whines. It’s an awful sound, and it’s attracting passers-by’s attention, but Victor couldn’t begrudge her this. Even Yuuri’s tearing up too, but the omega’s hiding it in the sleeve of his shirt as he whispers his goodbyes to the dog. _

_ Victor and Yuuri’s eyes lock when the omega looks up, and when Victor opens his mouth to say something - a goodbye, perhaps - Yuuri quickly stands up and gives him a wan smile. “Have a safe trip, Victor.” _

_ “Thank you. Yuuri,  _ solynshko _ , I...” _

_ “You should go to the pre-departure room now. Your flight’s boarding in thirty minutes.” The omega must have sensed Victor’s apprehension when he appends, “It’s better this way. For Makka.” _

For us _ is unspoken, but not unheard. So Victor just gives him a sad smile, takes Makka by the leash, and prompts her to get up.  _

_ The omega can’t go beyond the pre-departure gate, and Victor realizes that ... this is it. This is where it ends. After a few steps towards the pre-departure gates, he turns around and looks back, hoping that Yuuri’s watching him go. Instead, all he sees is Yuuri’s back, and Victor wants to shout Yuuri’s name, to see the omega’s face one last... No, one more time. _

He hadn’t. He only turned around and went on his way to the gates, resigned to the idea that Yuuri didn’t want to see him ever again.

He’s not making that same mistake twice.

“Yuuri!”

The omega’s already beyond the checkpoint, but he turns around and looks at Victor incredulously. Victor just gives him a grin and waves his hand. “Do skorogo!”

_ See you soon  _ . And this time, it’s a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's...wow, It's 5 AM. I really pushed it this time because I already went beyond my own deadline.
> 
> I would give my excuses, but I guess I'll leave that to any of you guys who are following me on [tumblr](http://gervilla.tumblr.com/) instead of cluttering this space.
> 
> Sorry for the long wait! And thank you so much for the support. This chapter is a bit short and less...angsty? But there's a reason for that. I promise. And hey! I didn't end it with a cliffhanger this time around.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late and unbeta'ed. Apologies for the immense delay! Since it's already December 8 over here, this is my birthday gift to you all (just think I'm a hobbit who chooses to give on their birthday) and I hope you'll enjoy!

When Victor reaches his hotel room, the first thing that greets him is an ecstatic Makkachin. The brown poodle tackles him as soon as he opens the door, and her weight makes him fall back to the floor.

“Ah, Makkachin!” Victor says as he hugs and pets her, and when she starts sniffing his hand, the same hand that rested on Yuuri’s shoulder just an hour ago, he realizes just why. “So I guess your superior senses can pick out Yuuri’s real scent, huh?”

The dog quickly barks what Victor imagines is a “yes,” and he finds himself smiling at her excitement. The last time he saw her this eager was when he went back to Hasetsu last year in the middle of the Rostelecom Cup. He expected the worst when he reached the vet’s clinic, but thankfully she pulled through. It was a close call, though. He’ll always thank Yuuri for forcing him to go home even at the omega’s expense in the Free Skate. God knows what he would have done if Makkachin passed away without even seeing Victor - and Yuuri - again.

Before his and Yuuri’s breakup, he gave serious thought to leaving her with the Katsuki family, or even letting her live with Yuuri here in Switzerland. He wanted a reason, an  _ excuse,  _ really, to go home to Yuuri and Makkachin as frequently as possible.

Of course, that didn’t work out, and Makkachin went back with him all the way to Russia.

He remembers how homesick she was in their first month back in the motherland. She always stood and waited expectantly at the doorstep, even when Victor was in the same room. As the days went by, he came home at more ungodly hours of the night, stinking of alcohol and sweat, and she eventually stopped doing it. She must have realized that with the lack of her  _ omega  _ owner’s scent, her Yuuri wasn’t coming through that door anytime soon.

That should have been his first wake-up call, but Victor was in too much of an alcoholic haze back then to notice it. Had Makkachin been human, she would have walked out the door and left at the two-month mark.

He doesn’t deserve her unconditional love.

This time, he’ll make things right, not just for him and Yuuri but also for Makkachin.

He makes his way to the bedroom, Makkachin trailing behind him, and quickly strips and chucks his clothes off to the floor. They stink of sweat and his unhindered alpha scent, as well as the stench that comes with sitting at an airport cabin for hours. Overall, he smells like a mess. Maybe Yuuri smelled him and didn’t agree with the stench?

Sure, the omega’s too polite to point those things out, but Victor didn’t see Yuuri scrunch his nose or anything of the sort either. If he noticed anything off, then he mustn’t have been bothered by it. Still, it wasn’t the best first impression for a reunion. It doesn’t hold a candle to their first “real” meeting at the hot springs last year, that’s for certain. Victor will have to make a bigger effort the next time they meet. Speaking of next time...

Victor flops down on the bed and pulls his phone out of his coat pocket. He ignores the notifs on his social media accounts and opens his contacts, automatically scrolling down to the English “Y” when he sees a familiar Cyrillic contact on his phone.

Солнышко.

_ Solnyshko. _

A familiar ache builds in his chest as he looks at the word. Despite all the flings and the one-night stands, Victor never used that pet name on anyone else except Yuuri. It wasn’t even the sweetest Russian word he could use to address the omega, but it felt more fitting than the rest. After all, hadn’t he been ready to throw away his old life to chase a new one... One that revolved around Yuuri?

Yuuri may have emulated Victor for most of the omega’s figure skating career, but it was Victor’s universe that had shifted when a drunken Yuuri asked him to be the omega’s coach.

He opens the contact entry and hovers his finger over the Call icon, wondering if he should just send a message instead. Yuuri has never been the texting kind, sometimes even ignoring texts for hours before noticing them. If he wants to meet Yuuri again soon, he’ll have to call the omega first.

Victor takes a deep breath, mentally preparing for what to say and coming up with nothing at all. He hasn’t been this nervous about talking to someone on the phone in years, maybe even a whole decade, and it’s pretty disquieting.

_ Get your act together, Victor. Just press it already! _

Victor touches the Call icon before he could think too hard about it, and he gulps as he squeezes the phone case with sweaty fingers. After five rings he tries to cancel it, but on the sixth ring, the other line finally answers.  _ “Hello? Victor?” _

“Ah, Yuuri! See? I still have your number!” Victor says with too much cheer, and he grimaces at how it must sound to Yuuri. The sigh from the other line confirms that the omega definitely isn’t buying it.

_ “You don’t have to pretend with me, Victor. You know that, right?” _

This time, it’s Victor’s turn to sigh, and he runs his free hand through his hair. “Sorry, Yuuri. I’m still...a bit shaken from bumping into you earlier. I wasn’t ready to meet you so soon, too.”

_ “I know. I guess it’s good that I really needed to leave quickly…” _

Victor’s about to say something else when Makkachin suddenly tackles him and barks happily at the phone. He has to hold her still so he won’t drop his phone, but she’s far too excited to back down. “Ahh, Makkachin! You heard Yuuri, huh?”

The poodle barks enthusiastically, and Victor hears Yuuri chuckle from the other line.  _ “You can switch this call to Facetime so Makkachin can see me.” _

Victor does so, and when Yuuri’s face appears on the screen, Makkachin’s excitement increases tenfold. Seeing her so ecstatic just by seeing Yuuri tugs at his heartstrings, and when he looks at Yuuri’s face too, the omega’s longing is also as clear as day.

_ “Hi, Makkachin! How are you? You’ve been a good girl, right?”  _ At that the dog barks a ‘Yes!!’, and Victor just watches as the two talk (and bark, in Makkachin’s case) over the video call. Yuuri’s laugh rings through the tinny phone speakers, and it’s an entirely different laugh from the one in that infamous mall video with Chris.

Speaking of Chris...Victor squints to focus on Yuuri’s surroundings in the video call, and he notices that the wallpaper looks vaguely familiar, like he’s been there before. Curious. Maybe he should ask Yuuri about it.

“Oh right, Yuuri! So where are you staying? That doesn’t look like a dorm to me,” he says as casually as he can, and he sees the omega stiffen momentarily before letting out an awkward laugh.

_ “Well, I couldn’t afford housing here in Zurich, so Chris offered to let me stay here at his apartment for a low price. We’ve been roommates since the start of the school year.” _

So that explains things. What Victor doesn’t understand, though, is Christophe’s odd behavior. Betas aren’t known for being protective, so why did the beta warn him off?

Could it be-?

Victor hears a door opening and closing from the other line, followed by Chris’s voice calling out for Yuuri. The omega jerks and stiffens again before muttering a quick but low “Sorry” - and just like that, Yuuri ended the call.

Victor blinks a few times, staring at his phone screen. Yuuri’s apology and the abrupt disconnection bothers him. Why did Yuuri feel the need to end the call just like that when Chris arrived?

There’s far more to this situation than meets the eye. Only one thing is for sure: Victor will get to the bottom of this, if he wants any chance to get Yuuri back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, folks! 
> 
> The response to this fic floored me, really. I haven't written for such a responsive audience in a very long time, and I'm so glad for your kind comments. I love you all so much.
> 
> This chapter was horribly delayed because I've had to deal with a lot of things these past two weeks. 
> 
> I hope that you guys liked this one, even if it's late and short. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

Freshly showered and fed, Victor sets about on his first order of business: knowing his enemy.

The sensible part of him feels an iota of guilt for thinking of Christophe as his rival - which in itself is ironic because he had never seen the beta as competition even when they were  _ actually  _ competing against each other - but the temperamental alpha side of him only recognizes Chris as a major roadblock. Now that he knows of Yuuri’s living situation, he’s even more wary of Chris’s new role in the pregnant omega’s life.

He knows there are better ways to spend a night than sitting on a plush couch, chugging a can of Belgian beer while opening twenty different tabs on his laptop - all news and fan forum threads from googling Chris’s name - but he can’t go into this blind. He has to know what’s going on, even if he has to dig through the forums for information.

Other than the uproar about the video and the usual news about the man’s figure skating career, the only other legitimate article about Chris is the beta’s venture into modeling. It’s not odd for an athlete to take on a few photo shoots especially for sponsorships, but from what he can see, Chris seems to be more intent on launching an entirely new career.

It’s true that they’re getting older, but Chris is still in peak condition, having won the European Championships just recently. Why would the beta spread himself so thin between competitions? Yuuri’s claim that they’re just roommates also troubles him. Roommates don’t abruptly end calls when the other arrives home, right?

So why was Yuuri scared? That was trepidation in Yuuri’s eyes last night, a look that he had seen several times as the omega’s coach, the same one that he never wanted to see on Yuuri’s face again. Seeing Chris trigger it, and the fact that Yuuri’s living with him…

Just what was going on?

He’s halfway through a German forum thread about Chris’s latest magazine cover when his phone’s text tone goes off. Victor quickly puts his laptop away and picks the phone up from the nightstand, almost toppling the half-empty bottle of beer in the process. Much to his disappointment, it’s just a text from the wrong Yuri, and he’s about to ignore it and turn it off when, this time, his phone’s call tone rings.

It’s…”Yuuko?”

_ “Hello, Victor! I’m glad you answered! Oh, sorry, am I disturbing you?” _

“No, not really,” Victor says, even though he’s sliding back to the couch and pulling his laptop towards himself again. “It’s pretty early in the morning for you, though. Isn’t it four in the morning in Japan?”

_ “Ah, well, I’m used to it by now and, um...”  _ Yuuko trails off as if she forgot what she was about to say, and Victor’s in the process of opening another tab when she finally remembers.  _ “Right! Yuuri told me to relay a message to you!” _

A message? Yuuri couldn’t even text him directly? “What did he say?”

She pauses again, though he’s sure that she’s opening her inbox and checking her message history.  _ “He said he wants to have lunch with you at the Kafi Paradiseri, at, er...Hoffstorass 19?  _ ” Yuuko makes a frustrated noise.  _ “Sorry Victor, it’s just so hard to pronounce these words!” _

“Don’t worry about it,” he flippantly says as he uses his free hand to search for the cafe’s location. While Yuuko’s accent  _ is  _ thick, she still speaks better English than Yuuri’s parents. At this point, their accent doesn’t bother him anymore; after all, he and Katsuki Hiroko communicated purely in context clues and body language the whole time he stayed in Hasetsu.

The  _ Kafi Paradiesli  _ isn’t too far from his hotel, but it’s a fair distance from the  _ ZHdK  _ , the university that Yuuri’s going to. “I found it on the maps. What time did he say, Yuuko?”

_ “He said 1 PM, though he might be late because of the lunch rush traffic. He already reserved a table for the three of you, though.” _

“Three?” Was Chris coming too?

_ “Yes! He’s a regular, and the managers like him, so they’ll allow Makkachin in there with you!” _

Oh. Victor breathes out a sigh of relief. “That’s great! I know Makkachin misses Yuuri so much.”

_ “And Yuuri misses you too,”  _ she says in a softer tone.  _ “I’m sorry no one answered when you called. The Katsukis have been swamped by the media after that video came out and we decided to ignore all foreign numbers in the meantime. Even yours and Yurio’s.” _

She sounds genuinely apologetic, and Victor finds himself sympathizing with their situation. After all, he had been in that position far too many times to count. “It’s all fine. I understand what you’re going through. Please extend my regards to your family and the Katsukis, Yuuko.”

_ “I will. And, oh, Victor?” _

“Yes?”

_ “Please be patient with Yuuri, okay? He insisted on finishing the academic term even though he’s in his second trimester. I can only imagine how hard he’s pushing himself right now. So please, take care of him for us.” _

But what about Chris? Just how much does Yuuko know about this complicated situation? He knows she’s not the right person to ask, though. He’ll have to get the answers straight from the source. “I will. Thank you so much, Yuuko.”

_ “Anytime, Victor. Take care!” _

_ Well  _ , Victor says to himself as he looks at his home screen. Yuuri taking the initiative has  _ always   _ been a good omen.

_ It’s a date, then. _

\------

The first thing that comes to Victor’s mind when he reaches the cafe is that it’s in the middle of nowhere.

When he googled the name and address that Yuuko said to him last night, he thought that it was out-of-the-way for Yuuri. He still has no idea where the omega lives, but he knows that Yuuri has a 1-4 PM break between classes, so the omega must be coming straight from  _ ZHdK  _ .

For once, he curses his tendency to arrive well before the agreed time. A quick look at the clock tells him it’s just a quarter after 1, and there are still too many people having lunch in the cafe. It’s quite busy for an oddly-decorated shop in the middle of a residential neighborhood, which makes Victor even more curious about it.

How did Yuuri become a regular in this cafe? Pregnant omegas aren’t even allowed to drink coffee!

Just how far along is Yuuri?

He must have looked like a fool, standing outside the cafe entrance for nearly five minutes and absently petting an old poodle, because one of the baristas walks out of the door and says something to him in German. His puzzled look must have given away the fact that he’s a foreigner who barely knows a lick of the language, so she swiftly switches to English. “Do you want to come in? We have a reservation for two men and a poodle.”

“Ah, yes, please,” Victor replies hesitantly. “I’m sorry for being too early.”

She simply shakes her head and opens the door, ushering him in “It’s fine. Kats said you’d be here ahead of time, so we kept one of the garden tables empty the whole morning.”

Well. Yuuri  _ does  _ know him too well. And...Kats? That’s an odd nickname for Yuuri. He’ll have to ask her later when she’s less busy.

He silently follows her through the cafe and into the garden area, and if the cafe looked quaint from the outside, it’s even homier in the gardens. She leads him to his table and leaves him to his own devices for a short while.

The garden area only has a few tables and is far less crowded compared to the main room. Odd decorations are placed between pots and plants, though instead of feeling tacky they just feel artfully placed. It’s not pretentious or hip at all, and with the crisp air and the aroma of coffee...

It gives Victor an odd sense of  _ peace. _

He sits there silently, petting Makkachin as she starts dozing off, when the same barista from earlier returns, bringing a copy of the menu and setting on the table in front of him. He gives her a quick “Thank you” and looks at the menu, balking when he sees that it’s all written in German.

_ Wonderful. _

He winces and gives her a wary smile. “Excuse me, do you have the menu in English?”

“No.” She says with a tiny smirk that reminds him a bit of Georgi. “But Kats told me you’d probably like this one.” She points at one of the entries and continues, “Our special roast. Kats had it before he found out he was pregnant.”

“I’ll have that one, then, and a glass of water for Makkachin. I’ll wait for Yuuri for the rest.” Victor replies. He gives the menu cards back to her and waits for her to leave again, but she’s just standing there, appraising him in a way that’s far too inappropriate and unprofessional for a barista. She seems to be waiting for him to say something, so he says warily, “Is there something wrong?”

She shrugs and shifts an inch farther from the table. “No, just that it’s odd for Kats to bring someone here. He’s not the kind who likes meeting in public.”

“How did you know him anyway?” Victor says with an incredulous tone. She’s a little too nosy than he deems appropriate, and it’s starting to get on his nerves.

“We’re classmates in the university. I brought him here after our first meeting and he’s been a regular since then.”

That explains the nickname and the familiarity. So if she has known Yuuri even before the omega found out about the pregnancy... “Were you there when he found out?”

Her face contorts to a sneer, and only then does he notice the subtle, masked alpha scent from her. His eyes widen in surprise, and his shock jolts her from her sudden burst of rage. She quickly steps away from the table and gives him a withering look. “That’s none of your business, now is it? You’ll just have to ask Kats yourself.”

She then leaves him at the table, leaving him flabbergasted. He’s bothered not only by her unprofessionalism but also by her response to the mere mention of Yuuri’s pregnancy. 

It brings him both solace and grief to know that many people have come to care for Yuuri here in Zurich. He feels solace, that Yuuri didn’t suffer through anything alone, and grief, that their relationship had crumbled to the point where Yuuri didn’t go to him for comfort.

Then again, Victor never contacted Yuuri this whole time, too, so he can’t blame the omega for anything.

It doesn’t take long before a different barista shows up to give him his coffee, and when he takes a sip of the still-steaming mug, Victor instantly sighs in relief. The rich, earthy roast, while not perfectly to his tastes, warms his heart and soothes his soul. It reminds him of how Hiroko, Yuuri’s mom, brewed their morning coffee before training, and the unique blend was something he just couldn’t replicate with his fancy coffee machine back in St. Petersburg.

Nothing ever beats  _ home. _

“Tastes almost like mom’s, right?”

This time, Victor doesn’t need to turn to see Yuuri. Instead, it’s the omega who moves first, pulling the seat in front of him and taking a deep breath. Victor can tell that Yuuri rushed all the way here, and seeing the omega’s flushed cheeks and sweat-slicked hair…

It reminds him of a better time. It reminds him of...

Victor shakes his head fondly and gives Yuuri a small smile. “It reminds me of home.”

  
****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, guys!
> 
> This chapter was supposed to be much longer, but I had to split it or else I’d end up messing with the pace that I’d been (unknowingly) setting for the story. 
> 
> Thank you so much for the feedback and the love <3 This has been a trying time for me and my family, and your kind comments and asks both here and in my tumblr account kept me going. So here’s your update, just as promised.
> 
> Again, if you want further updates about the story, or ask about any tidbits that I haven’t written into the story yet, feel free to drop an ask on tumblr. Thank you so much for reading! You guys are the best!


	7. Chapter 7

_ Home. _

If anyone had told the 25-year-old Victor that he would feel at home in a strange, quaint cafe in the neighborhoods of Zurich, with his aging poodle and a Japanese man whom he hadn’t even met yet...

He would have said, “All I really need is Makkachin and the ice.”

Now though, as he carefully shifts his feet away from the still-sleeping poodle, Victor realizes that the biggest reason why he felt so alone in Russia, even with Makkachin’s company, is that his sense of home has been redefined. He still loves Makkachin, but he had left a great chunk of his heart in Hasetsu.

No...he left it with Yuuri, and he’s been homesick ever since.

Saying it out loud feels like a confession, and Victor feels the blood rushing to his cheeks in embarrassment. It doesn’t go unnoticed by Yuuri, who blushes and fidgets too, and the air is slowly filled with the faint sweet scent of embarrassed but pleased omega.

_ Get a hold of yourself, Victor. _

Still, the scent makes Victor’s mouth water, and it takes all of his self-control to stop from opening his mouth and tasting it on his tongue. He knows that it’s an involuntary response from an unmated omega to entice potential partners, and the absence of that offensive beta smell from last night is a huge relief. They sit in silence for a while, with Yuuri peacefully observing Makkachin, who was still asleep on the garden's floor.

“How is Makkachin still asleep?” Yuuri asks in a hushed tone. They both look at said sleeping princess, and Victor lets out a soft sigh.

“Her hearing has been odd since we got back from Japan. It’s fine most of the time, but the vet says it’s normal for poodles her age.”

“Oh,” is Yuuri’s only response, and they fall into silence as the gravity of Victor’s words strikes both of them. Victor and Yuuri may have a few more decades in this world, but they know that, at best, they’ll only have a year or two with Makkachin. A quick glance at Yuuri tells Victor that the omega is thinking of an entirely different dog, and Victor knows he has to shift the focus to something else.

_ Come on, think of something, Vitya. An ice-breaker... _

Victor sees the menu, and he nearly sags in relief. “Oh right, Yuuri! Order something. I’m sure you’re famished by now.”

Yuuri jolts out of his most likely maudlin thoughts, then he blinks at Victor blankly for a few seconds before the words finally connect. The man’s cheeks flush in embarrassment, and Victor just flashes him a comforting smile while handing him the menu. It’s enough for Yuuri to feel less unsettled, and he takes the menu cards with a small, albeit a little self-conscious, smile. “Their cheese plates are wonderful, but I’m not allowed to eat cheese. It’s bad for the baby.”

“You can’t have coffee too, right?”

“I can, but only in small doses.” The omega looks at the drinks section again. “I only want the hot chocolate anyway.”

Victor blinks. “But you don’t like chocolate.”

Yuuri's opens his mouth to reply, but he’s rudely interrupted by a vaguely familiar voice from behind them. “That’s ‘cause Chris got tired of his whining and got him addicted to Swiss chocolate.”

Victor turns around to see the intruder, and he nearly growls when he sees her face. It’s the Alpha staff from before, and her smug face makes Victor want to bare his teeth. Instead, he settles for a frown and looks at Yuuri, who makes a blank face. Seeing Yuuri go distant makes Victor hiss and look at her. “Just get him a hot chocolate. What else do you want for lunch, Yuuri?”

Yuuri says something in German with an apathetic tone, and adds in English, “Please go and stop embarrassing me and this establishment. It’s not good for business.”

She stiffens and quickly plasters on a fake smile. “ I’ll have your order in a few,” she says, and her shaking form and acrid scent as she walks away screams tension and humiliation. When Victor looks back at Yuuri, the omega finally relaxes a little bit, though the comforting atmosphere from a while ago is entirely gone. He’ll need to tread lightly if he doesn’t want to stress the poor omega out.

Thankfully, Makkachin chooses that moment to wake up, and her reaction to Yuuri’s presence is, well...

Victor sees the tackle way ahead of time, and before she could accidentally hurt Yuuri, Victor jumps out of his chair and hugs her to keep her down. It’s enough to stir Yuuri out of his stupor, and when Makkachin barks at Yuuri happily, the omega shifts his chair and slowly leans down to kiss her forehead and pet her as Victor kept her grounded. “There, there, Makkachin. Victor’s just worried for the baby, that’s all.”

The dog lets out a small whine when Yuuri leans back, and this time, Yuuri gives Victor a small nod. It’s enough for the alpha to slowly let go of Makkachin, though he keeps a hand on her back as she rubs her nose on Yuuri’s knees. Yuuri starts petting her too, cooing soft, sweet nothings as he gently sinks his fingers into her thick fur, and the omega’s smile is still bright when he shifts his gaze to look at Victor and...

And though the smile softens, it’s not any less brighter than before.

“See? She can smell that I’m pregnant, Victor. She’ll be gentle,” Yuuri says as he shifts again to move closer to the still-grounded dog. Victor finally pulls away and sits back in his chair, content to just watch the two interact. It’s the happiest he has ever seen Makkachin, and Yuuri’s joy at meeting Makkachin after six long months is palpable. 

Then the guilt from separating Yuuri and Makkachin returns... and Victor’s chest tightens at the idea of losing either one of them. He doesn’t want to separate them again, not when they were this happy...

It takes a few more minutes for Makkachin to calm down and just rest her head on Yuuri’s thighs, and though the omega is winded from the dog’s excitement, Victor can tell that it’s the good kind of tired. 

“So, Yuuri,” Victor says, and Yuuri looks up at him expectantly. “How far along are you?”

As expected, Victor’s words made the omega stiffen, and the faint scent of distress returns. Victor inwardly grimaces, but there really was no way around it. They had to talk about it at some point. He sighs and shifts closer to Yuuri and Makkachin before laying a hand on the one that the omega’s been using to pet the dog. “You know I won’t judge you for anything, Yuuri,” and in a softer tone, “No matter what. You know that, right?”

“I know that,” Yuuri says quietly and looks Victor in the eyes. He pauses for a moment and takes a deep breath. “The problem is that I don’t really know.”

_ What?  _ “Wait, what do you mean, you don’t know?” Victor knows that his voice is a little too loud. Thank science for scent blockers; otherwise, he’d be stinking up the place.

The omega takes another deep breath and sighs. The stench of distressed omega fades and Yuuri gently cards his fingers through Makkachin’s fur. “I honestly don’t know. It could be as early as that last heat we shared, or as late as the breakthrough heat I had three weeks later, here in Zurich.”

_ So I could still be the father  _ .

The thought of being the father of Yuuri’s child, the idea of their last heat bearing fruit...

Yuuri bites his lip and nods. “It’s might be yours.”

_ Then why didn’t Yuuri tell him? _ Victor opens his mouth to say it, but Yuuri interrupts him immediately.

“But it could also be Chris. Or the alpha I hired before Chris found me.”

Now that...

That’s the revelation that makes Victor’s head short-circuit. It takes him a few more seconds before Yuuri’s words  _ finally  _ click in his head.

“Wait,  _ What!?  _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everyone!
> 
> Tags have been updated for this fic. Quick note that I've always wanted the story to go this way, and I hope you guys will still stick with me (and poor, poor maybebabydaddy?Victor) after this. There are a lot of family and relationship issues that will get tackled in this fic...and it would be great if you guys will still stay for the rest of the Bridget! Jones! Baby! Drama! too. If it gets triggering for any of you, though, please, _please_ take your emotional and mental health first and refrain from reading this fic, at least while it's still in progress. We got a bumpy road ahead of us and it's only just begun.
> 
> On another note, LifeTM finally threw me a bone and gave me enough time to churn out a tiny chapter for you all. This was supposed to be longer (to account for the long wait) and was supposed to be part of the previous chapter (thus the short chapter length) but I hope it explains Yuuri's behavior. I'll upload the next one within the week, provided no greater family crisis happens _again_. And if you have any questions, or violent reactions...leave me a comment here or on my tumblr. I'll try to respond as soon as I can!


	8. Chapter 8

“You...what happened, Yuuri? Why didn’t you tell me?” Victor knows his voice must be shaking, his tone too loud and incredulous, but he needs answers. It’s clear that he’s been kept out of the loop for too long, and he has the right to be angry about it. Omega rights may have allowed autonomy for unmated omega mothers-to-be, but common propriety dictates that sires  _ know  _ when they’ve unwittingly impregnated an omega. That way, the alpha or beta sire can take responsibility and provide support for the child.

Then again, he might not even be the father of the child, so Yuuri wasn’t obliged to tell Victor at all.

The thought makes his inner alpha protest, and Victor thanks his scent inhibitors once again for hiding just how much Yuuri’s decisions are frustrating him right now. He doesn’t even notice their proximity until Makkachin nudges her head against their still-touching hands, and though they’re both emotional, none of them make a move to break their physical contact just yet. It takes a few more seconds before Yuuri twitches, but when the omega starts to pull his hand away, Victor quickly holds it in a firm, but gentle grip.

It makes them look at each other, and when Victor sees the unshed tears in the omega’s eyes, his anger slowly abates.   

He’s still upset, but he’ll have to be the calm one in this situation. What’s done is done, and the best that they could do now is deal with the situation at hand.

Victor lets go of Yuuri’s hand, and the same alpha waitress returns with their order. Victor’s hoping for another snide remark from her, just to break the ice, and he hates to admit that he’s disappointed when she pointedly avoids eye contact with both of them and leaves just as quickly. Meanwhile, Makkachin lays her head back on Yuuri’s thigh and falls asleep again, leaving the two humans without a buffer for their discussion.

The homely atmosphere has been well and truly broken, and there’s not much Victor can do about it but to try to salvage the situation. A little small talk before they get back to the meat of the problem won’t go amiss. “Eat first, Yuuri. You still have class three hours from now, right?”

The omega nods and shifts his attention to the food, picking and prodding at the bite-sized sandwich slices on his plate. Victor’s cup of coffee has long gone cold, but he takes small sips of it anyway, stealing glances of Yuuri whenever possible. The table is silent, save for the clank of cutlery and Makkachin’s soft snores, and Victor’s wary of breaking the uneasy silence and accidentally tipping the omega off.

_ So what they say about pregnant omegas is true  _ , Victor thinks.  _ It’s like walking into a field full of mines. _

Victor’s down to the last sip of coffee when Yuuri puts the fork down on a now-empty plate. The sound makes Victor jerk and look at the omega expectantly, and soon enough Yuuri opens his mouth to speak. “Remember when I told you that my birth control implant wears off more quickly every time I spend my heat with an alpha partner?”

“Yes,” Victor says immediately. Yuuri did mention that when they first talked about having sex, in the early days of their past relationship. “But your doctor said it should last you two more heats, right?”

Yuuri nods grimly. “That’s what I thought too. But a defunct hormone implant triggers a breakthrough heat after four to five weeks if it isn’t replaced, so...”

The omega trails off, and Victor couldn’t suppress his wince. If Yuuri had a breakthrough heat three weeks after his shared heat with Victor, then the implant must have worn off even before that heat. Victor left Japan two days after the end of that heat, and Yuuri also flew to Switzerland just two days later.

None of them remembered the implant because everything happened so fast. Their split, then the heat, and the flurry of last-minute packing for their separate flights...It’s no wonder that both of them forgot about it.

What a disaster.

“I had my breakthrough heat in the middle of a lecture,” Yuuri continued. “Mia helped me get to Chris’s flat, and I quickly hired a professional heat partner to help me through it.”

Then Yuuri takes a sip of his hot cocoa and sighs. “But after one round, we found out that his pheromones were incompatible with mine and...”

“You had an allergic reaction,” Victor continues for him. “That’s why you had Chris help you.”

The omega nods. “After my heat passed, I took emergency pills and thought I was safe,” Yuuri says, and he drinks from his cup once more. “But I didn’t get my next monthly heat. Or the next one. Then a trip to the omegologist confirmed that the pills were neutralized by whatever was left of the implant.”

Knowing Yuuri’s drive for independence, Victor’s sure that the omega had done everything in his power to prevent the pregnancy. Circumstance was, sadly, never fond of Yuuri to begin with; it’s not much of a surprise that both of the contraceptives failed.

“Well, I guess if the baby survived through everything, they deserve to be born,” Victor says out loud with a too-bright smile, but when Yuuri’s expression turns blank for a moment, the alpha’s fake smile quickly turns to a wince. “Ah, sorry, that was...”

Yuuri interrupts the alpha with a surprisingly amused scoff. “It’s fine. That’s what I thought, too.” The omega looks down at his bump with a tired, but fond gaze. “This one’s a fighter,” he says as he gently lays a hand on his belly, “It’s time for me to fight for them.”

This time, they fall into an easier silence, with Victor taking the time to digest all the information Yuuri gave him. Things are starting to make sense now, but the irrational part of him, the  _ alpha  _ part of him, still feels raw, like his feelings had been bottled up and then upended so abruptly. Faced with the knowledge that Yuuri deliberately kept him uninformed, and that there’s a chance that the child isn’t his...Is he really capable of raising a child that isn’t born of his seed? What if his alpha biology rejects the child’s scent?

Only then does Victor  _ truly  _ realize, and not in that haphazard, impulsive way that his inner romantic is wont to do, that despite everything the omega revealed to him today, he  _ doesn’t really mind  _ . The mood swings, the food cravings, the baby’s parentage...

He can take them all, as long as he’s with Yuuri. He will never love anyone else more than he loved -  _ loves  _ \- Katsuki Yuuri, and  _ if  _ the omega will let him…

He’ll gladly be the father of Yuuri’s child, if Yuuri will have him.

But if Yuuri and the baby have a better chance with, say, Chris...

Oh, right. Chris.

Victor steels himself and asks, in a soft and hesitant tone, “Are you and Chris together?”

The omega predictably stiffens again, and the movement sets off the alarm bells in Victor’s head. Chris may be a good person, but if he’s in any way hurting or abusing Yuuri, there’s no way Victor will just stand back and let things be. He came all the way to Switzerland to support his beloved, after all.

Yuuri quickly clarifies: “We’re not. It’s...,” the omega pauses and sighs, “  _ complicated  _ .”

_ Everything about this situation is complicated, huh?  _ Victor thinks, but all he says is, “Because he might be the sire, too?”

“Not just that,” the omega says in an exhausted tone. “He spent the rest of my heat with me, remember?”

“So what if he...  _ Oh  _ .” Chris may be a beta, but even betas are susceptible to heat-induced attachment after sharing an omega’s heat. However, unlike alphas, betas don’t have the necessary pheromone markers to induce the same biological attachment in omegas. With Chris being betrayed by his own biology, and with the same pregnant omega in such close proximity for months… “He’s made himself your surrogate mate, hasn’t he?”

The omega nods grimly. “We talked about it with the omegologist, and we decided that we’ll let nature run its course. My scent won’t change to reflect the baby’s sire until the twenty-sixth week, and if Chris isn’t the father of my child,” he unconsciously strokes his pregnant belly as if he’s trying to comfort the child within, “then his biological imperative to act as my surrogate mate will disappear.”

So by the twenty-sixth week, they’ll know just whom of the three men Yuuri’s been with is the sire of the child. 

Victor mentally does the math: since they shared that heat a little more than six months ago, that leaves a one-week window for Yuuri’s scent to change if the child was conceived from that heat. Otherwise, either Chris or the alpha partner is the sire. Since professional heat helpers aren’t responsible for accidental pregnancies, it’s really between him and Chris.

Victor will back off if and  _ only  _ if Chris is the sire. “So I guess we’ll know in a week, huh?”

“Yes,” Yuuri says. He looks downcast, all the worries of this complex predicament reflected on his face, and Victor knows that the omega will start apologizing soon. And, predictably, Yuuri does. “I’m sorry, Victor. You came all the way here to help, but I think it’s better if you just let me...”

“No!” The alpha interrupts suddenly, and it makes the omega jerk in surprise and dislodge Makkachin. The dog wakes up and lets out a soft bark, and they both look at her again. A few moments pass, and Victor lets out a long sigh. “Sorry, that was too loud, but,” he locks eyes with Yuuri, “I’m not leaving you again, Yuuri. Not this time.”

“But Victor...”

“I’m staying here, Yuuri,” he says resolutely. “I’ll be here for you, not only because I might be the father but because I  _ care  _ for you, both as a friend and as someone who loved and made love with you.”

Tears are starting to well in Yuuri’s eyes, and Victor can feel his starting to prickle with tears, too, but he forges on. “If there’s anything I learned these past six months, it’s that I’m still in love with you. Yuuri, my life isn’t complete without you.”

Yuuri lets out a small sob as the tears finally start falling. “Victor, I left because I wanted to stand on my own.” The omega grabs a quick breath, but it breaks into a self-deprecating laugh. “It’s stupid, but even with all of this, I still  _ want  _ to.”

Victor’s about to speak when a loud call tone suddenly blares from Yuuri’s direction. The omega swiftly grabs his phone and curses in Japanese. Yuuri frowns and looks at Victor. “Sorry, it’s my research partner. I -  _ kuso, the report  _ \- I need to go. I’m so sorry Victor, I just-”

Yuuri frantically wipes his tears and reaches into his wallet for cash, but Victor quickly stops him. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the bill,” he says with a firm voice. “Do what you need to do, Yuuri. I’ll just text you later, okay?”

The omega nods and shifts his chair so he could lean down and kiss Makkachin’s forehead. He tries to stand up from his seat with some difficulty, and Victor swiftly gets up to help him on his feet. Yuuri says a small thank you, and, much to Victor’s surprise, the omega leans close to him and gives him a peck on the cheek. “ _ Ja ne _ , Victor.”

Victor’s cheeks feel warm, and though his cheeks are damp from the tears, his lips can’t help but pull up to a smile. “ _ Ja _ , Yuuri.”

And only as the omega turns away from him does Victor remember one thing, a question that he hadn’t thought about but he definitely needs to ask. It was at the back of his mind the whole time, and now that he remembers it again, he can’t help but ask, “Wait, Yuuri!”

Yuuri looks back at him. “Yes?”

“Is it a boy? Or a girl?”

The question makes Yuuri stop, then turn around to look at him. “I chose not to know. I’ll love them either way. But if you really want to know...ask Chris. He knows.”

_ Me, too. I’ll love them either way  _ . 

“I guess I’ll wait until they’re born,” Victor says with a wink. “Surprise me?”

That makes the omega laugh, and as they wave goodbye to each other, Victor’s heart feels so much lighter. They may not have resolved everything yet, but learning about what truly happened to Yuuri, as well as unloading his own feelings for the past six months, took a significant amount of weight off his chest.

And hours later, when he’s back in his hotel room after a whole afternoon visiting tourist haunts and enjoying the fresh air with Makkachin, he knows that, whatever comes barging through his door tomorrow, he’ll weather through it and stand resolute. 

He owes it not just to Yuuri and the baby, or even to his dear old Makkachin, but also to himself.

  
****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who had enough time to churn out a much longer chapter! At this point, the fic is pretty much writing itself. I'm sorry if I lost you guys with the pseudo-science, but I hope it's still mostly understandable. Again, if you have any violent reactions and whatnot, leave a comment here or an ask in my tumblr.


	9. Chapter 9

He’s a morning person, but this definitely isn’t the best way to start anyone’s day.

The alpha grunts as he sits up from the bed, Makkachin quickly shifting out of his way, and flips himself to get closer to the nightstand. When he stretches his left arm to grab the still-ringing telephone, his elbow lets out a loud pop, followed by a quick but sharp pain that makes him hiss and say a rare Russian expletive that one would expect from a younger Russian skater. It takes a few minutes for the discomfort to subside, and only then does he answer the phone with a gruff, “Hello?”.

“Good morning, Mr. Nikiforov!” The woman on the other line says with the default cheer that people in the hotel management industry have perfected, “We’re sorry for disturbing you at this early hour, but we only wish to inform you that another guest has been trying to get into your room since an hour ago.” Her tone then becomes apologetic, though it’s hard to make out from her thick accent. “Our security team has taken him into custody. We’re truly sorry for the inconvenience that he might have wrought.”

Victor shifts the receiver end of the phone away from his mouth as he yawns. “I only woke up to the phone, so it’s fine.” Sadly, with his line of work, it wasn’t uncommon for rabid fans to trail him all the way to his hotel room. Although they’re not as bad as Yuri’s fans, Victor’s fanbase is much older and far more capable of encroaching on his privacy in terrible ways. Victor doesn’t go as far as having them reported for stalking, but he does have a tally of names to avoid. “Did they give their name?”

“Yes, sir!” She says promptly. “One Christophe Giacometti. He’s a registered guest in our hotel and I know the two of you have checked in...”

“Wait, did you say Christophe Giacometti?” All traces of drowse disappear as soon as he hears the beta’s name, and he quickly sits up from his bed. Makkachin squeaks and scurries to his side, probably sensing Victor’s alarmed scent. The alpha opens his phone and curses at the missed calls; two are from Yuuri, and the rest...are from Chris.

“Excuse me, sir, is everything all right?” The tinny voice from the telephone barely registers in his mind, too distracted by the flurry of Chris’s voice messages from an hour ago.

_ Are you in the same room as usual? We need to talk. _

_ Victor, answer your phone, I know you’re still awake. _

_ Scheisse. I’ll get a room there. You better be awake when I get there or I’ll knock the door down. _

_ Open the door, Victor. _

_ I’m right outside. _

The last message’s timestamp shows that it was sent an hour ago. A quick check at the clock says that it’s still four in the morning, so the beta must have been causing a ruckus outside his rooms as early as 3 AM.

What a mess.

“Sir, do you need assistance? We can send a...”

“It’s okay,” Victor interrupts her, this time with his own fake cheer. “Chris is a friend. I’ve been expecting him but I fell asleep, so please let him come back here. I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience,” he says the last sentence with a genuinely apologetic tone.

“Very well, Mr. Nikiforov,” is the woman’s response. “We’ll send Mr. Giacometti there. If you need any assistance, please call us anytime.”

Victor thanks her and puts the phone down. He stares at the wall for a few moments, dread bubbling up in his throat at the idea of talking with Christophe. Though he and Chris are pretty good friends, despite the distance and infrequent communication, Victor knows that their current predicament will change things forever. He scoffs at how he had been so determined and brave yesterday after his date with Yuuri, that he would deal with Christophe and insist that the child nestled in Yuuri’s womb is his, regardless of parentage. It reeks of classic teenage naivëte, and he can feel the trepidation threatening to take over.

What was he thinking?

He feels the first flames of rare panic leak into his consciousness, but they all disappear when he hears the first furious knocks on his room’s front door. Makkachin jumps and runs to it, eager to meet a familiar scent in this unfamiliar land, though this time her cheer is anything but infectious. He takes a deep breath and stretches his facial muscles into his usual amiable smiles before walking up to the door and opening it. “Hello, Chris, sorry I...”

“Cut the crap, Victor.” The beta interrupts, his words garbled in a drunken slur. He reeks of alcohol and bile, the combination potent enough in itself to make Victor want to gag. Still, Victor wordlessly opens the door to let the beta in. Makkachin looks up at Chris, expecting to be noticed and greeted the way that the beta did whenever they met, but Chris only acts as if she wasn’t there. When she realizes that she’s being ignored, Makkachin whines and slinks back to the bedroom, and hearing her disappointment makes Victor frown and glare at the beta.

He’s intent on just getting this over with as Chris passes him by, but just after their shoulders bump, an eerily familiar offending scent wafts up to his nose. The potent stench crawls its way into his nostrils, and there’s no stopping the loud, violent sneeze from coming out ... and it’s strong enough to make him bash his face against Chris’s shoulder, making the beta jump and groan. “Fuck, cover your mouth!”

The alpha sniffles, trying to get the stench out of his system, but with Chris so close, the offending scent just keeps coming back, making him sneeze a couple more times before he steps away to give them some distance. Finally, when he’s a good two meters away from the beta, his allergy subsides and he sighs in relief. “I swear, if you’re the actual sire, I literally won’t survive smelling your true scent from Yuuri.”

“So you finally figured it out, huh?” Chris says in a snide tone and tries to take a seat on one of the plush chairs in Victor’s room. It’s a testament to the beta’s natural grace that, when he ends up tripping onto the chair’s padded arm, he only slides into the seat instead of falling ass-first to the floor. Still, it’s disconcerting for Victor to see Chris in such an inebriated state. Chris’s proclivity for bar-crawling and partying never extended to fully getting plastered, unlike Victor’s tendency to imbibe in too much alcohol between seasons.

Another thing that Chris  _ isn’t _ is confrontational. The beta preferred indirectness and insinuations. It pains Victor to witness just how much the heat attachment is changing his friend.

Then again, Victor hasn’t been his happy-go-lucky self for a while now, has he?

“You know you’re acting like this because of the attachment, right?” Victor leans against the nearest surface, still maintaining his distance. “What will you do if you’re not the father?”

Chris growls and sits up a little straighter on the chair, though it’s clear that he’s drunk enough alcohol to make him wobble even while sitting down. “But I’m the father. Yuuri’s _ my _ mate.”

The beta’s declaration makes Victor bristle, and he’s sorely tempted to challenge Chris to a fight. It’s not a good idea, and Chris’s true scent will just handicap him anyway, so he just crosses his arms and tamps the impulse down. “If you’re not the father, your heat attachment will disappear once Yuuri starts smelling like the sire.”

“Stop trying to dissuade me, Victor,” the beta’s voice grows louder, “You’re doing this just so you can get Yuuri back.”

This time, Victor can’t suppress his exasperation and stomps his way to the bathroom, deciding once and for all that there’s no getting through Chris’s mulishness. He hears Chris telling him to get back there, but he isn’t willing to talk to someone if he can’t even be within two meters from them. He decides to wash his face, rinsing the lingering pheromones out of his nostrils, when, from the corner of his eye, he sees the box of scent inhibitors he bought the other day lying on the edge of the sink.

_ Perfect. _

He quickly dries himself, grabs the box, and makes his way outside, only to see a trail of clothes on the floor and no Christophe in sight. Makkachin’s yelping from outside the open bedroom doors, and she quickly shifts away when Victor runs to the door.

This is definitely not his morning.

“Damn it, Christophe!” He’s greeted with the sight of Chris’s naked behind, defiling Victor’s bed with that toxic scent as the beta lies prone on the mattress. It’s not an unfamiliar sight, but it’s definitely unwarranted and downright offensive, now that he knows that Chris is aware of Victor’s allergy. The mere idea, the gall of it, makes Victor’s blood boil, and there was no suppressing the frustrated sound that ripped out from his throat. 

The beta doesn’t respond, though, choosing instead to ignore Victor and nuzzle a cheek into the plush pillow. To make matters worse, Victor notices the smirk on Chris’s face, and it only makes his annoyance grow tenfold. He takes a few steps towards the bed, but the pungent scent makes him sneeze again, and he retreats with an exasperated scream.

“Seriously Chris, you’re just being troublesome now!” Victor’s at the end of his rope - a feat, considering how he’s a very patient person - and he angrily throws the box at Chris’s head. “You wanted to talk? Fine. But I’m not talking to you until you get your scent under control!”

The angry tirade seems to have worked. Chris stretches up from the bed and looks at the box blearily, then turns his head to look at Victor with a confused frown. The alpha just glares at Chris, points at the box beside the beta’s head, and lets out a huff. “I’ll be at the restaurant. Take the inhibitors and meet me there. I’ll tell housekeeping to clean this room in fifteen minutes, so be ready by then.”

At that Victor grabs his phone and wallet, Makkachin silently following him through the rooms. When he finally has everything he needs, Victor walks out the front door and slams it shut, and Chris’s long groan at the sound is the only ounce of satisfaction he’s had today.

  
****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. There you have it. Compromised Chris has finally shown up. This is a reminder that he's just as much a victim of circumstance as Yuuri.
> 
> This was supposed to be a longer chapter, but it had to be cut into half again. Truly sorry for the delay; classes are back and in full swing and I'm still trying to adjust to my more hectic sched.
> 
> PS my dear beta, if you see this being posted then please forgive me lol I couldn't wait for your final instructions anymore. #badauthor


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Here you go, fellas. Hope this gives some insight on the whole misunderstanding.  
> (I'm so glad I finally finished this one)
> 
> ALSO: We finally hit 3k kudos! Thanks a lot for your support, guys!

Victor’s still fuming when he and Makkachin reach the receptionist’s counter, and he can tell by the receptionist’s sympathetic look that it’s the same woman who was on the phone with him just a little while ago. She looks genuinely apologetic as she sits up and gives him a tired smile. “Good morning, sir. Is there anything I can help you with? Is Mr. Giacometti giving you any trouble?”

“Some trouble, but nothing I can’t manage,” he says with all honesty, and her slight wince only makes him feel sorry for her. Still, she only gives him a reassuring smile and tells him again that she can always call security, which he quickly declines. “I’m letting him sober up right now, but can you please have the room made up in twenty minutes?”

“Of course, Mr. Nikiforov,” she replies instantly, but just as he’s about to thank her, she quickly adds, “It will take another fifteen minutes to rid the room of any lingering smells, though. Will that be fine for you?”

He nods and leaves her to her own devices. As he walks away, he hears her hissing on the phone in German, and he finds himself sighing at all the trouble that Chris’s intoxicated self brought here. Regular or not, Chris’s behavior should have gotten the beta kicked out of the hotel, maybe even brought to the authorities for the misdemeanor, but Victor just couldn’t do that to his friend.

The cafe isn’t too far from the lounge, and though it’s already open for breakfast, only a few stragglers are up and about. He can see some college kids - Korean if his ears got their language right - gorging themselves on too many cups of Americano and a plate of sandwiches. There’s an old man reading a book with a vaguely familiar cover. One of Tolstoy’s works...was it War and Peace? He remembers reading that back in the _technikum_ , when his professors had still insisted on making him earn his grades in school. His first Worlds title put a stop to that, though, and when his fame skyrocketed, they were all too willing to give him concessions in exchange for his dedication to his sport.

Figure skating gave him everything - his money, his fame, even his education…

...and, of course, his life and love.

As he takes a seat at one of the tables in the middle of the hall, he finds himself analyzing the whole situation again. It’s odd that Chris came here in the middle of the night when the heat attachment should have compelled the beta to take care of Yuuri at all times. The fact that Chris has clearly been drinking since before dinnertime, though not entirely unusual, rings alarm bells in his head too. Where’s Yuuri right now? Who is taking care of him? What if Yuuri needs something?

The rage is starting to simmer in him again, and though he has never been the type to lash out, he finds himself suppressing the overwhelming need to just _do_ something. He usually distracts himself by coming up with particularly challenging routines in his head that even he can’t do.

The first thing that comes to mind is Yuuri and that record-breaking FS program, and it spirals back to Yuuri retiring and getting pregnant then to this whole mess with Chris.

It’s so exhausting _._ It’s not even daytime yet and Victor’s already so tired from everything.

He can only hope that Chris comes down here soon, if only because Victor just wants this to be over with.

Of course, that’s when Chris decides to show up. _Speak of the devil and he shall appear._

Victor stays seated as Makkachin gets up to greet Chris. Chris’s eyes shift from the floor to the poodle, and the beta walks a little faster towards her and hugs her as soon as she’s within reach. The dog is ecstatic to finally be noticed, and though Victor’s in an awful mood, the sight makes his heart soften.

The two cuddle for a while, Chris pointedly ignoring Victor in favor of playing a little with Makkachin, and soon enough Victor’s mood sinks again. He’s all in favor for a happy Makkachin, but he really doesn’t want to waste any more time. He coughs to get their attention, and sure enough, Makkachin jerks away from Chris, wiggles out of the beta’s grasp, and returns to Victor.

_Good girl._

He can’t suppress the smug smirk on his face as he leans down and pets Makkachin. Christophe gets up from the floor and takes the seat opposite him, and the tension in the room rises again. Though Chris’s scent is finally blocked and muted, there’s very little change in Chris’s aura towards him. “Since you got a fresh change of clothes, I assume you got your own room here?”

Chris nods, but the beta says nothing else. They’re blanketed in silence once more, both of them unwilling to have the first word, until Victor finally snaps. “I thought you wanted to talk. Why are you wasting my time here?”

“What are you doing here in the first place?” Chris bites back immediately, and the words only fuel Victor’s rage.

“To help Yuuri, of course! Why else would I,” he puts a hand on his chest to emphasize it, “drop everything I had in Russia again to come all the way here?”

Chris’s scoff is on the side of _too loud_ , and only then does Victor realize how that came out, but before he could take it back, the beta’s already hissing back, “Oh, the _great_ Victor Nikiforov, coming all the way here to be the hero of a helpless omega.” Victor balks at it, but Chris continues, “You think you can just barge in unannounced and expect everyone to just lay back and let you happen, don’t you?”

“What the heck are you talking about!?” That was definitely a brutish taunt, but it smarts at Victor all the same. “Look, Chris, I brought you down here so we could talk...”

“Which is what we’re doing,” Chris interrupts, though this time his mean-spirited mien suddenly turns serious. “I’ve always been the one to call you out on your bullshit, Victor. So what makes this so different?”

Victor glares at Chris, but when the words register in his head, he feels his blood boil to the tipping point. “This is different because it’s Yuuri. I want to support him through everything, even after-”

“Even after you broke up?”

The silence that follows is deafening, and he can feel the other patrons of the cafe staring at them. Only then does he feel the shame from their outbursts, and he takes a deep breath before saying in a quiet but firm tone, “Yes. Even after we broke up.”

He expects another jab from Chris, but instead, the beta only gives him a questioning look. Victor stares back at him, unwilling to budge on this issue, and it takes a few more seconds for Chris to break eye contact and groan. “Victor, he’s not your responsibility. He’s _my_ mate, not yours.”

“You’re just attached because of the heat-”

Chris scoffs. “Really? Did you think I liked him only because of the heat?”

“Well, forgive me for not noticing,” Victor hisses back, “but even if you were attracted to him before this, I know that you’ve never wanted to be tied down. Not to your flings, not to your old choreographer-”

“Don’t you dare bring _him_ into this-”

“- and _definitely_ not to Yuuri.” He finishes in a biting tone. It’s a low blow to mention Chris’s ex, and the way Chris still bristles at it makes the guilt creep into Victor’s heart, but he needed to make a point. “What happens if you find out that the child isn’t yours?”

“The child is mine-”

“You don’t know that!” Victor shouts, and they both freeze when they hear his outburst echo through the halls. There’s no denying the attention they’ve drawn to themselves now, what with the students blatantly clicking their tongues at the noise and the old man glancing at them from the corner of his eye. Even Makkachin is whining, and Victor suppresses a cringe. They’ll need to tone it down or else they might just get kicked out.

When Victor turns back to look at Chris, he sees the fury that’s barely hidden in Chris’s eyes. Still, Victor sits up straighter on his chair and doesn’t break eye contact. “Where were we? Ah, right, the fact that none of us may be the father of Yuuri’s child.”

Chris’s eyes narrow, and the beta seethes, “He smells like me.”

“Only because he’s been nesting with you,” Victor answers immediately, then he lets out a long sigh. “If Yuuri wasn't pregnant, I would have scolded him for being so self-centered and thoughtless about this, about you.”

Saying it out loud - airing out how Yuuri’s at fault for Chris’s predicament - leaves a bitter taste on his tongue, but he knew it had to be said. After all, none of this would have happened if Yuuri had moved out after sharing his heat with Chris and ending the heat attachment prematurely. He knows that Yuuri doesn’t make good decisions when he’s panicking, but this?

This was downright cruel.

Yuuri probably knows it, too.

Victor sees the beta deflate, and he knows that he’s struck a chord. Chris stiffens and looks down at the ground with a sudden melancholy. He doesn’t say anything else as he waits for Chris to do something, but Victor can see how the fight has left Chris just from those few words. They sit there in silence for nearly a whole minute before the beta finally looks him in the eye again and speaks. “That’s what he said, too.”

“Who, Yuuri?”

Chris shakes his head. “No. _Him_.”

 _Oh._ “Your ex?” Victor asks in a softer tone. Chris’s old choreographer was also the beta’s on-and-off boyfriend for almost five years, and they never went official because of Chris’s commitment issues. “Have you talked to him recently?”

“He went to my apartment during Yuuri’s heat.”

Victor doesn’t suppress his wince. Now _that_ must have been very uncomfortable. Still, he doesn’t interrupt Chris, who seems to have sobered up now that they’re talking about someone else other than Yuuri. “He wanted to talk about next season’s programs, but he showed up while Yuuri and I were still…” Chris pauses. “You get the drift.”

“I know what Yuuri’s like in heat so, yes, I get the drift.”

That earns him a momentary glare from Chris, but it speaks volumes of the beta’s better state that Victor doesn’t get called out on it. “He found out about the heat attachment just recently, and he told me the exact same thing that you said.”

“That Yuuri’s at fault.”

Chris nods. “But the truth is that I brought this onto myself. Yuuri wanted to go back to Japan when he found out, but I convinced him to try this - us - out. And he did, under one condition.”

“And what’s that?”

“That we keep this whole thing private,” Chris says. “He didn’t want anyone outside of his family and colleagues to know. But the cat still got out of the bag.”

“And the dog chased it all the way here.” After all, had it not been for the video, Victor would have known nothing, would have stayed in Russia unaware of the fact that the love of his life was pregnant. He would have wallowed in self-pity. And when a picture of the child would eventually show up on social media, he would have licked his wounds and drowned his sorrows in regret and alcohol.

He would have lost Yuuri forever.

And it all boils down to this.

“Christophe.”

“Yes?”

Victor composes himself, then looks Chris in the eye. “We’ll know in a week if I’m the father or not.”

The beta frowns. “But-”

“No, listen to me,” Victor says in a tone that brooks no arguments, and Chris instantly backs down. “After that week, whatever the results may be, we’ll accept them. That means that if Yuuri’s scent doesn’t change, if I’m not the sire, then I’ll back down.”

“That sounds okay,” Chris says with a nod. Victor isn't finished yet, though.

“But-” he adds, “if Yuuri wants to leave, then you have to let him go.” He sees Chris stiffen at that, and before he could be interrupted, Victor speaks again. “We both know that guilt plays a large part in Yuuri’s decision-making process. I think that deep inside, you know that he said yes to staying because he feels responsible for your current state.”

Chris opens his mouth to say something, but no words come out and he just closes his mouth again. Victor has rendered him speechless, and it’s not a comfortable feeling.

“I’m speaking to you as your friend, not your rival, Chris.” Victor truly means it, too. “And I’m hoping that even after all this...Our friendship will still stay. Yuuri is the love of my life, but you’re my best friend. I don’t want that to change.”

“And neither do I,” Chris answers back and flashes a reluctant, wan, but still apologetic smile. Victor returns it, and for the first time this morning, things are finally starting to look up.

They both leave the cafe without having breakfast; Victor’s body demands sleep and Chris’s demands Yuuri’s scent, so after a hug goodbye they go their own ways. When he gets to his newly freshened room, Victor succumbs to the temptation of sleep as soon as he gets to the bed.

And so he misses the first hours of the trending topic for the day: a simple photo of an ultrasound scan on Chris’s Instagram account.

 

 

 **christophe-gc** It’s a girl! <3

8 hrs ago


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter to tide you over until I post what should have been part 2 of this one. Unbetaed, so sorry if it's a mess. Thanks to each and every one of you for your support and kind comments <3

Victor wakes up to Makkachin’s incessant pawing and whining. It’s not the best way to start the day (again), so he simply grumbles at her and burrows back down under the bedcovers. He’s intent on ignoring her and catching up on some badly needed beauty sleep, and soon enough she stops and gets off the bed, leaving him to nap again.

The peace and quiet don’t last, though. He barely has any time to dodge as she jumps on him, and Victor resigns himself to not getting any more sleep today. He’s still untangling his legs from the bedsheets when Makkachin jumps off the bed, then turns to bark at him first before turning to the coat rack and barking at it too. Only then does he hear the faint vibration coming from one of his coats, and he gracelessly sprints towards it, fishing his phone out and checking the caller ID...

... _ Solnyshko. _

_ Yuuri?  _ Victor’s half-convinced that he’s just seeing things, and he even rubs the sleepy blur out of his eyes. The screen remains unchanged, though, still the same Cyrillic  _ Solnyshko  _ staring right at him, and only then does he believe that  _ yes  _ , Yuuri is calling him. He swipes to answer, but just before he fully swipes it, the call stops. He immediately calls back, and his call gets in after the first ring. “Yuuri?”

_ “Victor? I’m sorry, did I wake you up?”  _ Yuuri’s voice was hushed but still clear enough for Victor to pick up on the faint tremble in it.

“No, no, it’s fine. Yuuri, are you okay? Did anything happen?”

There’s a pregnant pause from the other side before Yuuri says,  _ “Yes. Have you checked your phone?” _

“I just woke up,” he answers back honestly. “Is it...”

_ “There’s a video of you and Chris going around the internet right now. When you were talking at the hotel cafe early this morning.”  _ Yuuri’s voice is too calm when he says it, which just means that the omega’s overwhelmed and coping with it by shutting his emotions down.  _ “Chris also uploaded a picture of the ultrasound scan.” _

“What!?” Victor exclaims, and he cringes at the volume of his voice. “Sorry, but...Why?”

_ “He was drunk,”  _ Yuuri says.  _ “He deleted the post already, but by then it was already too late.” _

Victor winces at the mere thought, but then he remembers just what Chris said about Yuuri’s terms. “Are you still at Chris’s apartment?”

_ “No,”  _ is all Yuuri says to it, and though Victor gives him some time to explain, he doesn’t say anything else. The silence is enough of an answer, though, and other than the sound of Yuuri’s quick but faint breathing, Victor hears nothing else. Yuuri should be in class right now, but with the recent events... “Yuuri, where are you right now?”

He hears a shuffling sound before the other man answers,  _ “At the university. I stepped out of class when Lisse showed me her phone. I...needed some fresh air.” _

“Has Chris called you yet?”

_ “No. I think he’s still asleep. But he’ll wake up anytime now.”  _ Yuuri lets out a sigh before continuing,  _ “I wanted to call you before he does. I just...”  _ There’s no mistaking the wet sob that rings through the line, and when Yuuri speaks again, it’s in a brittle voice.  _ “I just feel so…” _

Yuuri trails off, and even after months of going without communication, Victor knows exactly what Yuuri’s feeling right now. The last thing the omega needs is to be alone, but he knows better than to press and prod. “Do you want me to meet you somewhere?”

_ “That’s not a good idea,”  _ Yuuri quips back sharply, the sound making Victor wince. He’s about to speak back, but Yuuri cuts him off.  _ “Can I stay in your room for a while?” _

His first thought is  _ yes, of course,  _ with maybe too much glee than is appropriate, but he quickly tamps it down. “That’s not a good idea either. They know Chris and I were here. If they see you…”

His heart drops at the defeated sigh Yuuri makes from the other line. Still, they have to be smart about this now, or else the fallout will be even worse. What can they do, then? The most he can do right now is to calm Yuuri down, or at least...take him away from here! Victor sits up and says, without much thought, “Yuuri, do you want me to meet you there? I can rent a car, take you to the countryside for a while to get you away from all this. A road trip...”

Even as he trails off, Victor is met only with unnerving silence, and it takes moments before he finally hears a hushed  _ “okay”  _ from Yuuri. At that, Victor quickly grabs the directory under his room's telephone, and it doesn’t take long for Victor to find the number of his favorite car rental service. “I’ll call the rental now. Do you want me to stay on the line?”

_ “Yes, please,”  _ is Yuuri’s response, and it’s not entirely unexpected. The omega had confessed, when they were still discussing how to make a long-distance relationship work, that he’d be fine just listening to Victor doing the mundane over the phone.  _ As long as I know you’re on the other line  _ were Yuuri’s exact words, and Victor still remembers how the mere idea made him blush.

The idea’s still making him blush now.

Victor gives a soft “okay” and reaches for the hotel room’s phone, keeping the smartphone against his ear by pinning it with his shoulder. He can hear Yuuri’s deep breathing from the other line, and he sighs in relief as he hears it slow down to a tentative sort of calm. He hangs onto every soft exhale, not even noticing how the dial tone on the landline ends. The loud, gruff voice of a man speaking in quick German breaks the trance, though, and Victor’s attention goes to summoning what little German he knows to rent a car for one day. He slips on a word or two, but he eventually comes to an agreement with the operator and puts the phone down.

Yuuri’s breathing is much calmer now, even barely audible, but Victor still calls his name out. “Yuuri? Still there?”

_ “Yes,”  _ the omega says and adds in,  _ “your German is pretty good. I’m taking a language course but I can’t hope to be as good as you.” _

“I spent several months between seasons here in Zurich,” Victor explains. “And you know I have a knack for languages. Or was it another Victor who learned conversational Japanese in two months?” He says it in a teasing tone, and the small chuckle from the omega brings a smile to his face. “Anyway, the car will get here in fifteen minutes or so. Should I pick you up at your school?”

_ “Yes. And..please wear a disguise. Or at least hide your hair,”  _ Yuuri says with a hint of teasing, this time earning a chuckle from Victor.  _ “Don’t worry, wearing a cap won’t make you go bald any faster.” _

Victor lets out a fake gasp. “You wound me, Yuuri! And I’ve been taking supplements too!”

Yuuri’s too serious when he says  _ “really?”  _ and Victor responds with a short laugh. “I’ve been buying virgin coconut oil for my hair. It’s much better than conditioner!”

_ “I don’t even know if you’re joking this time…”  _ Yuuri trails off. They fall into a comfortable silence from there, both of them unwilling to end the call just yet. It takes a good few seconds before Yuuri breaks the silence.  _ “On second thought, I’ll just meet you at the Paradiesli. Is that okay for you?” _

Victor nods until he realizes that the other man can’t see him. “Sure. I’ll be there in half an hour. See you there?”

_ “Okay,”  _ Yuuri says, then softly,  _ “Um, Victor?” _

“Yes?”

_ “Thank you.” _

Victor smiles. “It’s no problem, Yuuri.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been running on <2 hrs of sleep for the past few weeks, friends. Sorry if this is a bit of a mess.

The car is at the hotel entrance by the time Victor and Makkachin reach the lobby. The driver’s still looking around for him, and when Victor strides purposely towards the car, the poor man does a bit of a double-take, probably confused at Victor’s outfit. He can’t blame the man; they expected an alpha male after all, and Victor’s disguise of a headscarf and his Gucci sunglasses make him look anything but that. Still, the Russian introduces himself as Victor Nikiforov, with a “please allow me to extend my rental for one more day,” and by the time Victor gets the keys and settles himself and Makkachin in the car, the driver still looks slightly stunned.

At least he didn’t seem to recognize Victor.

Much to Victor’s relief, the car’s an automatic and comes with a GPS. There’s barely any traffic, too, even though it’s half past two in the afternoon, and driving to the cafe is a refreshingly easy task. He parks the car at the designated parking spot, and he feels safe enough in this city to leave his bag in the backseat, bringing only Makkachin with him when he enters the cafe doors.

Of course, it’s just today’s luck that he’s greeted by none other than Yuuri’s alpha friend.

She isn’t in her work attire, and her mouth is pinched into a disapproving sneer. She doesn’t feel as antagonistic as the last time they met, though, even when she says in a low voice, “He’s at the back door. Didn’t want to attract any more attention.”

Victor nods silently and moves to walk away, but she quickly grabs his arm and pulls him back. He feels an irritated growl growing in his chest, but when he looks at her, Victor’s surprised by the worry in her eyes.

“Take care of him. There’s only so much he can take before it becomes dangerous to his baby.”

The “or else” is silent but clear enough. She cares for Yuuri, and her protectiveness is enough for Victor to give her some respect. “I will. And I know it’s impolite, but I never introduced myself to you.” He extends his hand to her. “Victor Nikiforov.”

She looks at the hand for a second before she takes hers out and gives him a firm shake. “Lisse Belleflamme.”

“I can’t thank you enough for being there for Yuuri,” he says sincerely, and she gives him a small smile and a nod.

“Thanks. Now go,” she says, stepping aside and glancing at the back door. “Don’t let Yuuri stand there for too long.”

Victor searches her face for any sign of  _ something else -  _ a hint of jealousy, perhaps - but there was nothing but concern, and the thought brings him much relief. She’s a true friend, and Yuuri’s lucky to have her when things went downhill. Now she’s entrusting Yuuri to him; he can’t let them down now, can he?

He gives her a respectful nod and leaves with Makkachin, and when they open the back door, Yuuri’s there, waiting patiently at the side. The omega nearly jumps at the sight of them, and even with the surprised expression, there’s no mistaking the puffiness of Yuuri’s eyes and cheeks. “V-Victor?”

The alpha gives him a tight smile and tentatively moves closer to Yuuri, arms outstretched to give the omega a warm embrace. Much to Victor’s surprise, Yuuri meets him halfway, the younger man throwing his arms around Victor’s shoulders and burying his face against the alpha’s chest. Victor pulls him closer until there’s barely any space between them, and it only makes the omega tighten his hold.

They stand there like that for a full minute before Yuuri slowly lets go. The omega takes a step back, looks at Victor from head to toe, before letting out a small laugh. “This is your disguise?”

“It works, right? I look like a female celebrity on vacation!” Victor replies with some cheer, and the scoff that comes out of Yuuri’s mouth is anything but annoyed. It’s  _ fond  _ , even, and maybe even a little long-suffering, but clearly Victor’s attempt at cheering him up worked.

The omega shakes his head and looks down to smile at Makkachin, who was patiently waiting for permission to tackle Yuuri. Yuuri pets her, but he pushes down when she tries to jump at him. “Sorry, Makkachin. Only after the baby’s born, okay?” The poodle, in a display of mysterious intelligence, nods and nuzzles his hand instead. “So where are we going, Victor?”

“Where did you want to go, Yuuri?” Which is practically Victor-speak for ‘I didn’t plan for anything,’ and Yuuri’s judging stare just shows that the omega knows it.

“You didn’t think this through, did you?” Yuuri says, and the alpha answers with a shrug, which only makes Yuuri sigh again. “You’re lucky I’m friends with the owner here. I’ll go get a travel magazine for us.” He straightens up and walks to the door. “I’ll meet you at the car?”

The alpha nods, and when he turns back to the direction of the back gate, Makkachin separates from him, running to Yuuri instead. He glances behind him just in time to see Yuuri reach into his pocket for a dog treat, and the mere idea of Yuuri carrying treats with him at all times…

Was there anything Yuuri could do for Victor to stop loving him?

Victor flicks his phone out as soon as he reaches the car, opening the fifty-or-so tabs in his browser as he takes the driver’s seat. Yuuri might have assumed that he didn’t do any research, but even Victor wasn’t that inept with planning. He closed everything that involved tasting wine and other alcoholic products (which was a shame, because Switzerland had some good craft beers and wineries), and skiing was out of the picture too. There were some museums, of course, and they could even try crossing into Liechtenstein, and...

A tapping sound made Victor jerk, and he quickly unlocks the car doors for Yuuri and Makkachin. The poodle ambles in first and settles herself at the backseat while the omega takes shotgun. Yuuri fastens his seatbelt, shooting Victor a mock-distrustful look, before taking the magazine out. “Let’s go North,” he points the spot on the four-page spread map, “I want to see the Rhein Falls.”

Victor nods and starts driving. The GPS tells him that it’s near the border to France, a huge relief given how his French is  _ much  _ more fluent than his German. It’s a forty-minute drive from the city outskirts, and the app helpfully tells him that traffic is starting to pick up, which, well…”Have you eaten lunch?”

“I’m not hungry. Maybe when we get there?” Yuuri stifles a yawn and makes himself comfortable on the car seat. “Do you mind if I-”

“No, go ahead.” It’s enough of an answer, and soon enough both the omega and the dog doze off. Victor envies the snatches of sleep Yuuri and Makkachin will get while he has to stay awake and alert, but hearing their soft snores brings him so much familiarity and comfort.

To think he was so close to never hearing their combined noises together again.

The next hour and a half pass in a blur. True enough, there was moderate traffic at some parts of the city, and at some point, Victor had taken a wrong turn and had to take the long way around the city, but they eventually reach the general vicinity of their destination. There’s less than an hour of sunlight left, and as much as he wants to let his passengers rest a little longer, he knows he’ll have to wake them up.

All it takes is a strong nudge for Yuuri to awaken. Victor sees the omega take his phone out by instinct to check the time, and he winces at Yuuri’s alarmed squeak. “More bad news?”

“63 missed calls. 63!” Yuuri says in a panicked voice. “Twenty from Phichit, eleven from Chris, five from Yurio...”

Before the omega could go on a full-on panic attack, Victor quickly moves the car into an emergency stop lane and grabs Yuuri’s arm. It’s sudden, but it does the job; Yuuri jerks out if his mind and heaves out a deep breath. “Sorry. It was just too…” Yuuri trails off, gripping the phone so hard his fingers were turning white.

“Has your family called you?” Victor says softly, loosening his grip on Yuuri too.

“Yes.  _ Kaa-san _ called once, and Mari- _ neesan _ ...at least five times.”

Victor bites his lip, thinking of what to say. He still isn’t good at comforting people, not even Yuuri, so he does what he does best: offer a distraction. “You can Facetime them later, maybe share a few photos of the falls.” He points at Yuuri’s window, at the sight of the giant waterfalls, visible even from afar. The omega turns to look and gasps.  _ Crisis averted ,  _ Victor thinks. “See! It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…” Yuuri says, still entranced by the natural wonder, all traces of panic slowly ebbing away. The omega himself realizes this, and he lets out a short laugh. “Only you, Victor.”

“Only I what?”

Yuuri flashes him a smile. “Only you can take my worries away like this.”

As soon as the words leave his mouth, Yuuri blushes and shifts on his seat self-consciously, but it only makes the alpha grin. Victor resists teasing Yuuri though, choosing instead to restart the engine. “So, let’s get a closer look at the falls?”

“Mhm,” the omega nods, checking his phone as Victor drives them to the closest viewing park. “There’ll be a great fireworks display here tonight. Do you...should we stay long enough to watch it?”

“What time does it start? I don’t think I should drive in the dark, not with you here anyway.”

“9:45 PM. We can always get a room at a hotel,” Yuuri says quietly, and before Victor could say anything about it, he perks up and nods to himself. “I should talk to my parents before midnight in Hasetsu, too.” The omega starts loudly counting the time difference between Switzerland and Japan, the math of it going over Victor’s head as he keeps his eyes on the road. He starts mumbling about hotels as well, rattling off prices in a worried voice until Victor assures him that money isn’t an issue.

Yuuri wants to protest, of course, being the pragmatic one between the two of them, but Victor interrupts him in a firm tone, “I have enough money for this, Yuuri. And wasn’t I the one to invite you here?” He glances at Yuuri and makes a small smile. “Just choose the best-rated hotel nearby and we’ll go there. This is a vacation, okay? Stop worrying.” Yuuri does just that, and the rest of the drive is spent in comfortable silence.

They soon stop at a cozy hotel of Yuuri’s choosing, just a few minutes away from the Rheinfall park. Checking in is relatively painless; the attendant, who also speaks French, doesn’t seem to recognize them. Other than having to pay a large security deposit for Makkachin to stay with them, the room rates are pretty reasonable (probably why Yuuri chose it) for a large suite. There’s a large balcony overlooking the Rhein river, and Yuuri and Makkachin gravitate to it almost immediately, cherishing the fresh air while Victor unloaded all of his - no, their - luggage on one of the wide tables.

He only realizes how exhausted he is when he sits on the flush mattress. The past twenty-four hours are finally catching up to him now, and he feels so  _ drained  _ . “Yuuri?” He calls out to them tiredly, though it was still loud enough for the omega to pick up on it and look at him expectantly. “Wake me up in thirty minutes?”

Victor doesn’t even wait for Yuuri’s reply before he lies down and lets sleep overtake him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long one for y'all to make up for the fact that it took me an extra two weeks to churn this one out. Let me just say now that getting obsessed with P5 is not the best way to encourage yourself to write during your already non-existent free time.

It is Yuuri’s voice that Victor comes to, the whispered Japanese faint in the midst of the river’s splashing sounds. He hears “kaa-san” and “gomen” one too many times, with Yuuri talking a little too quickly for Victor to understand. Still, the omega sounds more relieved than distressed, so Victor just lays there, keeping his eyes closed and his breathing calm so he won’t interrupt their call.

Eventually, the call ends, and he feels the mattress dip beside him. Yuuri’s warm hand rests on his shoulder and gently shakes it to wake him up. “Victor? Are you awake?”

The warmth of Yuuri’s hand, of human contact, after having closed himself off for months, bleeds through the fabric of his shirt. He instinctively presses his cheek to it and sighs. It’s been too long, far too long. Much to Victor’s surprise, Yuuri doesn’t pull away; instead, the hand moves even closer, cupping his cheek gently. The omega says his name again, but he stubbornly keeps his eyes closed even though he’s sure his ruse is up by now.

True enough, Yuuri chuckles and taps on his cheek. “Come on Victor, the fireworks will start in two hours.”

“Then let’s leave in an hour,” Victor mumbles fake-tiredly. “I just want to stay here a little longer...”

“Do you mind if I go have dinner with Makkachin, then? I’m,” he pauses, “...a little hungry.”

There’s some embarrassment in Yuuri’s voice, and Victor silently curses himself for being so thoughtless. He quickly opens his eyes and stretches up, shaking the last specks of drowse from his system. “No, I’ll go have dinner with you two.”

“But you look like you need your sleep-”

“And you look like you need food and good company,” Victor answers back, and this time he looks down at Yuuri’s bump and pokes it gently. “Besides, we can’t have you hungry, right? Healthy mommy, healthy baby.”

Yuuri chuckles and gets up from the bed, walking towards the balcony doors. “Take a shower first. You smell like car freshener,” the omega says cheekily, and when Victor whines out his name, there’s no hiding the bemused smirk on Yuuri’s face.

Victor doesn’t get up immediately, content to bask in the silence for a little while before finally jumping out of the bed. He doesn’t bother with his usual regimen, whittling it down to a perfunctory shower and a quick shave of his five-o’clock shadow. The last thing he fumbles for is his scent blockers, which…are missing.

He looks at his bag once more, taking everything out, before deciding that, yes, he left his scent blockers again. Come to think of it, he’d given them to Chris, and he’d fallen asleep immediately after their debacle, only to be woken up by Yuuri and rushing to get everything ready…

Victor forgot his blockers, again.

He sighs and puts everything back into his bag, trying to recall if they’d passed by an Apotheke on the way here. There has to be one that’s still open at this time, even if they aren’t in Zurich. If he can’t find one, he’ll wrap himself in all of his scarves to keep the scent at bay. He can handle the discomfort if it makes Yuuri comfortable with him, if it makes Yuuri want to patch their relationship…

Victor stops himself there. There’s no time for introspection when his life and love is waiting outside this door.

He doesn’t waste any more time from there. The bedroom is empty and the doors to the balcony are already closed when he steps out of the bathroom. He quickly puts on the first set of fresh clothes he can find from his overnight bag. The night has turned from balmy to chilly, enough to warrant the extra scarf, though he’ll have to make up some excuse if Yuuri asks about it.

Not long after, he meets Yuuri and Makkachin at the front door of their room. The dog is wagging her tail happily, and when Victor gets down to pet her, he sees the telltale crumbs of her favorite dog treat around her muzzle. He looks up to Yuuri, and the omega smiles nervously. “I know her diet is controlled, but she looked hungry and I just had some diabetic dog treats in my pocket and...”

“You knew she had diabetes?” The only people who knew were Georgi, who volunteered to be Makkachin’s sitter on the third month, when Makkachin was diagnosed, and Yuri, because of...

The omega stutters. “A-about that. Yurio texts me often, and he mentioned that time when you screamed at him for feeding Makkachin a cupcake, even though it was chocolate-free. So he asked me why you would blow up over it, and we figured it out from there.” Makkachin whines at that, and Yuuri pets her too, his fingers accidentally brushing with Victor’s.

The silence is deafening for a few seconds until Victor stands up. “It was difficult, finding out about it. I wanted to contact you, but by then you had already deactivated your SNS accounts.”

“And you didn’t know if I was still using my Japanese number,” Yuuri adds in.

Victor doesn’t reply, so painfully aware of how he had helped keep up the radio silence between them for months. Finding out about Makkachin’s affliction was harrowing, yet it only made him spiral downwards even further, preferring to hire people to take care of her instead of spending more time with her.

Yuuri would have been disappointed if he knew how badly Victor treated their poor girl.

An apology is at the tip of his tongue when Yuuri says, “It’s okay. I wanted you to call, but I understood that talking to me about it would have made you feel worse.” At that, Yuuri quickly flicks out his phone and changes the subject. “They say there’s a restaurant with a great view of the fireworks. Do you want to go there?”

It turns out that the restaurant was at the other side of the river Rhein, and all the other restaurants were already fully booked due to the sudden surge of tourists. They managed to grab a box of gourmet pizza and a few bottles of fresh lemonade despite the dinner rush, but it took another half-hour to find a quiet spot overlooking the river.

All that traveling around paid off, though. Yuuri’s expression when he realized that the car Victor rented was a convertible was priceless. It makes him wonder how the omega would react to Victor’s flashy pink Cadillac back in St. Petersburg. Would Yuuri be pleasantly surprised too, or would it be too ostentatious for Yuuri’s tastes?

They prop the pizza between them and start eating, with Victor reaching back every now and then to get bottles of lemonade from the backseat. Makkachin’s sitting outside the car, wearing her pink travel earmuffs on to protect from any loud sounds as she happily digs into her own meal. Watching her alternate between eating and lapping from the water dish makes his chest clench, and he doesn’t even realize that he’s been staring until he feels Yuuri’s hand on his shoulder. When he looks back, he sees Yuuri staring at Makkachin too.

“I think,” the omega says, eyes still fixed on Makkachin, “I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself if she passed before I could meet her again.” He then looks Victor in the eye. “Thank you so much for bringing her along.”

_ I did it for both of you  _ , Victor almost says, but he keeps it in. It seems to be the ongoing theme today - short responses, terse silences, and them using Makkachin as a buffer.

“That part hurt the most. Leaving her. At least you knew my reasons for breaking it off, but Makkachin didn’t know, didn’t understand...”

“I didn’t know.” Victor’s voice is heavy, and the surprised look that Yuuri sends him just makes him continue, saying the words that have been plaguing him for months. “I didn’t know why you broke it off.”

“But I did...”

“I understood the need for independence.” Victor clarifies. “I know that you needed space. But I didn’t expect you to rebuff all my suggestions, to just…” He trails off at that, and when he smells the distressed scent seeping from the omega, he instantly regrets it. “Sorry, Yuuri, I didn’t mean to upset...”

“I didn’t know what to do!” Yuuri’s loud voice is tinged with a sob, and the omega starts crying. “I had just won the GPF, I had proven myself to the skating world and to you, and the idea of retiring when I finally reached my peak was perfect. But what then?

“I found myself thinking… What happens next? Will I use my degree? How will I start the next part of my life? I had no idea what I wanted, other than having you and Makkachin at my side. You were too willing to split your time between me and your career when I didn’t even know what to do.”

Victor stays silent at that, letting the words sink in as Yuuri kept crying. He had always known about the omega’s insecurities, the anxiety, but, now that they were finally talking about it...“Yuuri, I know I’ve said this before, but I wanted to do all of that not just because I loved you, but also because I  _ wanted  _ to.” At this, he carefully moves the box away so he can scoot closer to Yuuri. “You were the best thing that happened to me, even if you won’t accept it.”

Victor’s words only make Yuuri curl into himself, sobbing and crying even harder, and this time, instead of just letting the omega cry, Victor leans in and pulls Yuuri into a tight embrace. He stays silent even as he rubs comforting circles on Yuuri’s back. Yuuri’s far too distraught to speak, and Victor doesn’t want to set off the omega even more.

Finally, after a few minutes, Yuuri’s sobbing dies down, and the omega’s just trying to catch some air to make up for all the tears. Victor kisses him on the cheek and slowly loosens the embrace. “Are you feeling better now?”

Yuuri nods slowly and, after a few seconds, heaves out a long sigh. “It’s all in the past, though. Now that I’m pregnant, and I don’t even know who the father is...Stringing Chris along was bad enough. I don’t think my conscience can take it if I dragged you into this, too.”

“It’s a little too late for that now, isn’t it?” Victor says absently. “I left Russia again, of my own volition, to see you here.”

“But you’re still going back, right? I know you came here to see me, to confirm with your own eyes, but you still have students to train...”

“About that…”

Victor’s interruption makes Yuuri stare and, after a few seconds, wince. “Don’t tell me you left your job too. Victor!”

“I’m not the type to do things by halves!” Victor says, barely an excuse. “Besides, if I needed to stay here for a little longer, I have a standing invitation to coach at Stephane’s school...”

The omega buries his face in his hands, letting out a whine of frustration that wasn’t muffled at all by his hands. “You can’t just do this, Victor! I know you’ll say that you aren’t doing it for me to make me feel better, but I know the real reason why you’re here, and it isn’t helping at all.”

They descend into yet another uncomfortable silence. Victor knows his flippant attitude and tendency to just barge into people’s lives can be unbearable, and he knows that doing all this triggers Yuuri’s anxiety tenfold, but…”Would it make you feel better if I chose to be selfish?”

Yuuri looks at Victor. “What?”

“I’m a selfish person.” He says in a crisp voice. “You know I am. And doing all this makes me feel better about myself. I’m selfish enough to want you back in my arms again, no matter what you feel about it.” Yuuri stiffens at that, but Victor can’t stop talking. “It’s not just me. The alpha in me can’t stand the idea of you getting claimed by someone else, and seeing you so happy and domestic with Chris was the last straw. I needed to have you, and any of the children that will come from your womb, regardless of parentage. Do you want to hear more?”

The vulgar words have clearly shaken Yuuri, and the omega furiously shakes his head. Victor stops at that, and he lets the words sit for a little while before speaking again. “What role do you want me to play in your life, Yuuri? Your ex-coach? Or just another ex-boyfriend that you don’t want to talk about? An ex-alpha who pushed you too far? A sperm donor?”

Yuuri shakes his head at all of those.

“Then what about the father of your child?” When Victor says it, Yuuri makes a sharp inhale. It’s enough of a sign that Yuuri’s receptive to the idea. That tendril of hope is enough to urge Victor to say what he’s been meaning to say this whole time. “I don’t care if she’s the product of an uncontrolled heat, or if she’s of my own blood. Even if she was Chris’s, I can’t just stand by as he plays mate to you when he really loves someone else. He deserves better than that. You and the babe growing in your womb do, too.”

The omega nods. “I was planning on going back to Japan too, before my due date. I can’t raise her alone, and since you were out of the picture, my parents were more than willing to help if I also pulled my weight in the inn.”

“But I’m back in the picture now, right?” Victor whispers.

Yuuri doesn’t say anything to that.

It only makes Victor sigh. “I don’t need an answer now. I don’t want to pressure you into something you don’t know you want...”

Yuuri quickly sits up. “No, you got it all wrong--” The sudden movement makes Yuuri wobble unsteadily on his seat, and he teeters dangerously to the side. Victor reacts quickly, leaning close and taking the omega’s weight with his body.

The position leaves Yuuri entirely dependent on Victor to keep him upright, and Victor feels dumbstruck, unable to react anymore, unsure and unwilling to let go. He waits until Yuuri’s breathing calms down, and he slowly helps the omega to sit upright. Victor still doesn’t want to let go, and instead, he and Yuuri face each other, unsaid words hanging in the air they share. Yuuri opens his mouth to speak, but they’re interrupted by the loud hiss of a firework, and they both look up to the sky.

The first firework shoots straight up into the sky, and their eyes follow as it bursts into a circle of bright greens and reds. Two more specks shoot up from both sides of the river, this time erupting into showers of soft light, cascading down the sky as if lighting a path to the heavens. From there, more fireworks grace them, filling the night with bursts of color and sound.

It’s beautiful, Victor thinks, but when he looks down, he sees a far more beautiful sight than the sky.

Yuuri’s face radiates with unabashed joy, the joy that firecrackers never fail to elicit from anyone, and Victor just drinks it all in. Victor doesn’t know when Yuuri will be comfortable enough for anything, if he’ll even ever feel so, and the alpha basks in it, while Yuuri’s unaware, while he still  _ can  _ .

The lights still haven’t stopped when Yuuri tears his sight away from the sky and back to Victor, and Victor’s not fast enough to tear his own gaze away. Yuuri’s lips are still parted, and a fierce blush spreads on his cheeks when he realizes that he was being watched. But he doesn’t look away. Victor doesn’t, too.

And when they lean in, closer to each other, chapped lips meeting in the cold night...

... Victor knows that everything will be fine. Because Yuuri has finally come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on my outline, we should have around 3-5 chapters left on this story, depending on if I want to gloss over some drama and whatnot. Thank you all for your kind and encouraging comments! I'll get around to replying to them soon enough.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta'ed. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but it had to be done. See end notes for further news regarding this fic. Beware: emotional rollercoaster ahead.

Victor had thought that kissing Yuuri again would make him erupt in passion. His fantasies, late into the night when he had no control over his subconscious, told first of a tentative kiss. Shy, soft, maybe nervous. Then one of them - himself, most likely - would surge into the other’s mouth and bring the kiss to much greater heights.

After all, it had always been that way. In those few months of intimacy - before they broke it off - only twice did Yuuri take initiative: the first, and then the last heats that they shared. Yuuri was so painfully shy outside of heat that Victor always had to be the one to make the first move. Or, at the least, frustrate the omega so much Yuuri would whine for intimacy.

This time around, kissing Yuuri makes him feel a sense of calm, of relief. The passion is still simmering inside him, but - right now - he’s contented with this. They’re still keeping it chaste, small pecks and warm breath against lips, Victor’s arms still keeping Yuuri upright. Their kisses are still shy, tentative, nothing beyond the press of mouths. Victor’s hands are still innocently resting on Yuuri’s sides, not daring to venture further.

Then Victor parts his lips in the middle of a kiss, his tongue accidentally peaking out to touch Yuuri’s bottom lip, and Yuuri lunges.

It startles the alpha, his eyes snapping open as Yuuri groans and deepens the kiss. It’s like the dams have broken, and Yuuri - who’s so clearly starved for touch - comes at him with the hungriest kisses, the desperation palpable, the scent of arousal slowly filling the air. Yuuri’s arms wrap around his torso, and with considerable strength, the omega pushes him back to his seat and ravishes him. Victor can’t help but close his eyes and let Yuuri take the lead, peaking his tongue out to meet Yuuri’s now and then. It’s refreshing to just let the omega take him like he’s wanted and _craved_ for _._

A strong nip at Yuuri’s lower lip makes the omega sit up and groan, but this time around, Victor’s prepared to support Yuuri. Victor takes most of Yuuri’s weight when the omega tries to straddle him, which he then realizes is a bad idea when he nearly elbows Yuuri’s belly and must shift lower just to accommodate Yuuri’s - ahem - thicker ass and thighs. The struggle doesn’t go unnoticed by Yuuri, whose aroused scent suddenly gets a tinge of embarrassment in it.

After a few more seconds of shifting, they finally find a comfortable position, but by then the mood is truly gone. Yuuri’s too ashamed to look Victor in the eye, choosing instead to bury his face in the dip of Victor’s left shoulder. The alpha just rubs circles on his back, subconsciously purring to reassure the omega, and sure enough, Yuuri melts to his touch, turning limp and resting all his weight on Victor.

As the night air grows colder, so do the both of them, and a single shiver from the omega prompts Victor to unwrap one of his scarves and wrap it around Yuuri’s back. The alpha freezes when he smells his own potent scent waft out from under his first scarf, but when he looks at Yuuri, the omega’s still relaxed, like the scent isn’t bothersome. He breathes out a sigh and pulls the omega closer, burying his nose in Yuuri’s hair.

They stay that way for a while, locked in an embrace under the night sky. Sitting here, under the stars with Yuuri relaxed on his lap... It is utter bliss, and Victor finds himself painting pictures of how they’ll have more nights like these, draped by the night lights with their daughter nestled between them.

His heart blooms with an indescribable feeling, so different from what he felt for his parents, for his closest friends...even for Yuuri.

She already feels like she is his daughter, no matter what.

That’s when the fear sinks in. What if Yuuri changes his mind again? Victor doesn’t want to expect anything from this, not when he and Yuuri haven’t defined this yet. He doesn’t want to get hurt if Yuuri wanted to keep Victor out of this. Victor Nikiforov takes risks, yes, but they’re all calculated, all with the knowledge that if it doesn’t pay off, he’ll still have a backup plan.

But this? He’s flying in blind.

“Victor?” Yuuri’s soft voice drags him out of his mind. He looks down and sees Yuuri staring up at him. “Are you okay?”

When he looks into Yuuri’s eyes, Victor feels that warm feeling blooming in his chest again, and this time… Victor _knows,_ for sure. He’ll fight for this love with every fiber of his being. He’ll never find anyone else, and he doesn’t _want_ to.

He takes a deep breath and nods, squeezing Yuuri’s hand and leaning down to kiss the omega’s hair. “I’m more than okay.”

 

* * *

 

When the three of them reach the hotel lobby, the last person they expect to see is Chris’s ex.

The dour man is sitting at one of the couches for visitors, nonchalantly fiddling with his phone while glancing at the hotel doors. When Masumi sees them, his eyes briefly widen in surprise, which then narrows into a glare. Yuuri freezes beside Victor, and though the alpha feels the need to protect his omega, he also knows that if Masumi is here, then there’s a great chance Chris is nearby, too.

After all, wasn’t it Chris who told him about the Rheinfall fireworks in the first place? _It’s romantic,_ Chris had said at one point, _Masumi and I always go there for our anniversary._

It’s a fact that Victor conveniently forgot . He swears that his terrible memory will be the death of him, someday.

Instead of dwelling on the possible problem at hand - namely, Chris’s possible presence - Victor just pulls Yuuri closer to his side and flashes the choreographer a big fake smile. “Masumi! What a surprise to see you here!”

“I’m sure Christophe was the one to tell you about Rheinfall in the first place,” the other man deadpans.

 _Great_. Time for Plan B. Or is it E at this point?

“Ah, of course! For your anniversary,” Victor continues. “So is Chris here, then? Or are you with someone else?”

That sly question catches the man off-guard, and Victor bites back his own wince when the normally stoic man flinches. _This man is also hurting_ , the voice in Victor’s head supplies. _Stop being so needlessly cruel._

Victor’s just about to apologize for his tactlessness when a familiar figure appears from the elevator doors. The moment he and Chris lock eyes, the temperature in the room drops, and the only warning he gets is the way the beta’s face transforms to one of rage before Chris fully lunges towards him. He braces himself for the collision, but before Chris could reach him, he feels someone push him aside, keeping him away from the impact.

When he hears Yuuri’s pained gasp, he sees red.

Chris’s shocked face upon smelling Yuuri doesn’t even register in Victor’s head. All he sees is _his_ omega’s wince, and it’s enough for him to angrily grab Chris’s collar and shove the beta away from Yuuri. How _dare_ he touch Victor’s omega!? He’s about to shove Chris again when he’s suddenly grabbed back, and he snarls at whoever had the gall to stop him - only to be met by Yuuri’s disapproving glare.

“Alpha,” he looks at Victor straight in the eyes, “Stop.”

He’s startled at the command, but he complies immediately. He lets go of Chris and returns to Yuuri’s side, silently fretting over Yuuri’s well-being while Masumi also does the same for Chris. His rage subsides as Yuuri releases a calming scent, and only then does he look Chris straight in the eye.

What Victor expected to see was rage, but instead, he’s met by something else. It’s a look that he had seen on Chris’s face ages ago, one that he never thought he would cause again.

Heartbreak.

Chris’s face shifts from shock to despair so quickly. The Swiss skater bites his cheeks inwards, trying to stop his face from puckering up like he’s about to cry, and before Victor could say something, the beta turns his back on them.

 _To hide his tears_ , Victor’s mind supplies. _To retain the smallest bit of dignity in this impossible situation._

Victor can’t see Chris’s face, but there’s no hiding the heaviness of the beta’s voice. “You’re a fucking traitor, Victor Nikiforov,” the beta seethes, his words weighed down by unshed tears. “And Yuuri,” his voice cracks when he says the omega’s name, “Please… Please move out before the end of the week.”

Even from behind, there’s no hiding the way the beta heaves, and the scent of salty tears in the air just increases Victor’s guilt tenfold. His best friend is in pain and there’s _nothing_ he can do about it. He feels Yuuri take his hand and squeeze it, and when he shifts his gaze to the omega, he sees guilt, but other than that...he sees relief.

He feels terrible for feeling the same way too.

When they look back at the other pair, they see Masumi trying to comfort the beta, rubbing circles on Chris’s back. The man notices their gaze and throws Victor an unreadable look, though when he shifts his gaze to Yuuri, he sends another scathing glare. Victor can feel Yuuri’s hand stiffen in his, and just when he’s about to squeeze back to reassure the omega, Yuuri speaks up, loudly, “Chris---”

The beta whips his head back to look at Yuuri. His face is blotchy, eyes red-rimmed, scrunched up to a pained but also enraged expression. “What? What is it now, Yuuri?”

“I---” Yuuri stutters and lets go of Victor’s hand. “I’m so sorry. Chris, I’m so sorry.” The omega’s voice breaks into a sob at the end of that sentence. “I’m so sorry I dragged you into this---”

“Stop. Just, stop.” Chris cuts him off. “I don’t want to hear any more of it, not now.” He looks tired - an emotional exhaustion - and Victor knows that Chris has definitely reached his limit.

Yuuri’s about to speak again - another apology - but Victor opens his mouth first. “This is enough for today. None of us are in the state to talk about this right now. Masumi, please take care of Chris. I’ll bring Yuuri upstairs to our room,” he says in a voice that brooks no argument. Though Chris still looks understandably put out, Masumi nods, and Victor is glad that Masumi is a very patient, understanding person.

Chris needs Masumi. He hopes that this time, without Yuuri in the picture, things between the two will go back to normal.

 

* * *

 

From there they go their separate ways - Masumi leads Chris out of the hotel, while Victor brings his party of three to the elevator and to their room. Yuuri’s silent the whole way, and Victor doesn’t force any conversation. The omega makes a beeline to the bed when they reach their room, and Victor lets him be, occupying himself with attending to Makkachin’s needs. By the time he gets back to the bedroom, Yuuri’s already asleep.

Victor knows that soon, they’ll need to talk - about their game plan, about Chris, about Yuuri’s schooling, about the baby…

...But that’s a conversation for another day. Tonight, they rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late upload, guys. 
> 
> Sadly, since I have decided to edit this fic to high heavens, the next update will take almost as long as it took for this one. That means a whole month and maybe a week. I won't rewrite any of the plot points. All I'll do is add some filling, maybe a few flashbacks, between events in order to fix the flow of the story (which I'm fully aware is very fast-paced). I'll do all the edits, plus the new chapter, in one update though, so you won't be bombarded with notifications in your email. Hopefully, by then this will be a much better story, at least in the writing aspect, than before.
> 
> Thank you so much for your support and kind comments. They kept me going when I had 0 drive to write...so thank you. You have no idea how relieved I am to finally get this chapter out for you guys. Lots of love <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is way overdue, but I needed to rewrite and edit the rest of the story before posting this so...yeah. Here you have it. More Victor introspection for us all. Yaaay.
> 
> Based on my outline - and after some restructuring to the story - we officially have 2, at most 3, chapters left in the main story. There will be spinoffs and sequels in this series but so far that's it for this one. Thank you so much for your patience!
> 
> Many thanks to kyuh014 for the quick beta!

The next three days pass in a blur.

Thankfully, the media hadn’t caught wind of their get-away, nor did the hotel staff or any guests record Victor and Chris’s altercation in the hotel lobby. Victor and Yuuri wouldn’t know anyway, not with how they’ve uninstalled nearly all social media apps on their phones. Victor even removes Instagram, albeit reluctantly - a paltry sacrifice for his and Yuuri’s peace of mind - and Yuuri keeps nothing but Skype on his phone. 

The gaping hole that is Chris is all but muted. Other than a single text from Chris’s number to Victor...

_ I’ve packed away all of Yuuri’s belongings. Please take them from Chris’s apartment soon. He’ll be living with me for a while.  _ \-  _ M _

...the Swiss skater hasn’t contacted any of them. It’s understandable - the two of them have wronged Christophe, albeit not maliciously - and they don’t deserve Chris’s forgiveness. Not now, at the very least.

The whole time, Yuuri has been unfailingly quiet, avoiding Victor’s gaze as well as any attempts at conversation. Victor wants to push, to know what’s in Yuuri’s mind, but he understands that he needs to give Yuuri space, at least for a while. The upside to this is that Makkachin is getting more attention than ever, enjoying Yuuri’s constant petting and cuddles...And Victor tells himself that he’s not jealous. No, he  _ can’t  _ be jealous of his dear poodle.

He’s touch-starved, maybe. A small part of him expected Yuuri to be a little more affectionate after their date, but he also can’t blame the omega. He knows that Yuuri feels raw - more so than himself - and there’s nothing he can do about Yuuri’s guilt feelings about the whole situation.  The best he can do is support the omega, be a stable enough rock for Yuuri to lean on, especially at a time like this.

It’s easier said than done.

This morning, he’s alone in the hotel room, with Makkachin still dozing at the foot of the bed. Yuuri’s gone out to go to school - the first time he’s left the hotel room since getting back to Zurich - and Victor’s at a loss of what to do. He’s half-heartedly browsing apartments near Yuuri’s university, and for the first time in years, he finds himself balking at the prices. He hasn’t earned as much since his retirement, and he’s been too busy to accept offers for commercials and ice shows. His life has been at a standstill for the past six months, with the alcoholism and the recklessness, and now he has to pick up whatever’s left of his career.

He needs to make some calls.

The first one on his list is Yakov, just to check if there’s anything the old man wants him to do while he’s in Zurich. He knows a few of Yakov’s skaters are planning to train in Champery for the summer camp a week from now, so Victor can offer to be their chaperone. 

It’s a testament to their relationship that Yakov answers at the first ring.  _ “Vitya?” _

“Ah, Yakov, thank you for answering right away!” Victor says with sincere cheer. Just having someone (who isn’t Yuuri, at the moment) to talk to makes his chest feel even just the slightest bit lighter. “How are you? How is everyone doing over there?”

_ “My arthritis acted up today, is that what you wanted to hear?”  _ Yakov sounds sarcastic, but Victor knows it’s all fine. After all, the old man isn’t screaming at him.  _ “Yura has been throwing a fit...You haven’t talked to him, have you?” _

At that, Victor grimaces. “I’ve turned off notifications from him. I have too much on my plate right now, and Yuuri always jumps whenever he hears my phone vibrate...”

Yakov cuts him off gruffly.  _ “You know that if you ignore him for any longer, Yura will suddenly appear in Zurich. And I cannot have him disappear right before the competition season.”  _

“I know,” Victor replies in a somber tone. It’s best for all of them if he appeases young Yuri, so he makes a mental note to call the teenager immediately after this. 

They then talk business. Victor’s charges are doing  _ terribly _ since the new coaches don’t know their routines like he does. Yakov also talks about retirement and how the rink will fare without both Yakov’s prestige and Victor’s name. In light of recent events, Yakov and Lilia’s honeymoon was rescheduled too, and the disgruntled bride became even less patient in dealing with a misbehaving Yuri. 

To put things simply, the future of his home rink looks dim. The guilt, the knowledge that his continued absence will give Yakov a harder time, starts to weigh down on him. 

What are his plans, really? Teaching at Stephane’s school will be a temporary arrangement. His old friend invited him to assist in the S3’s summer camp, but nothing beyond that, and who knows how long Yuuri will want to stay here. Yuuri wanted to go back to Japan when the omega was still living with Chris; have those plans changed now that Yuuri’s with him?

Yakov’s still talking about the rink when Victor blurts out, “Yakov, I don’t know what I’m doing.”

There’s a short pause from the other line, then Yakov grumbles.  _ “Don’t have cold feet now, Vitya.” _

“I’m not!” Victor retorts immediately, a little too loudly too. “Sorry. But .... I’m not having second thoughts, Yakov. I did, a few times while I was here, but now I know that I  _ must _ be with Yuuri. There’s no doubt about that.”

_ “Then what’s the problem? You already have everything planned,  _ nyet _?” _

“... _ Nyet _ . Nothing. I have no plans, Yakov. I don’t know what I’ll do from here on out. Yuuri’s too dejected to talk to me. I have no appointment lined up other than teaching at Stephane’s summer camp next week. To make matters worse, Chris won’t forgive me anytime soon. I just---”

Yakov cuts him off with a sharp tone.  _ “You’re an adult now, Vitya. A father-to-be, even. Be responsible and  _ talk  _ to your mate.” _

“But...”

_ “No excuses. Relationships cannot work without communication. You may have depended on me all these years as your father figure, but I am not the person you should be talking to about this.”  _ The words are sharp, and it’s only by familiarity that he doesn’t flinch at Yakov’s tone.  _ “That is my last piece of advice about your relationship. Understand?” _

“Yes, coach.” 

_ “Good. Now, is there anything else?” _

Victor almost says no, if only to end the call quickly and lick his wounds, but then he remembers why exactly he called in the first place. “Oh, right. Do your skaters need a chaperone here in Champery?”

_ “No. Only two are going, so they should be enough for even Georgi to corral.”  _ Victor balks at the idea of Georgi chaperoning anyone, but Yakov must have more faith in the other man.  _ “Don’t even think of showing Georgi or the students around. Katsuki is your top priority right now. Georgi can handle everything.”  _

They say their goodbyes and end the call, and as soon as he lowers the phone, Victor breathes out a long sigh. Yakov knows him too well. His old coach wasn’t willing to give him a distraction, not when he had more serious matters to deal with.

He still has another call to make, Yakov’s only request, and he finds himself staring at Yuri’s contact details on his screen. A short ‘hello, goodbye’ should be enough for the teenager, but Victor doesn’t have the will to act cheerful right now. He just feels so off, even more lost on what to do than before he called Yakov. 

His thumb is still hovering over the ‘Call’ button when he hears the front door opening. He knows it’s Yuuri by the man’s footfalls and the sweet scent of clementines - Yuuri’s true scent - slowly wafting into the room. Makkachin quickly wakes up - awakened by the pregnant omegas scent - and runs into the other room. The sound of his poodle’s happy barking, along with Yuuri’s laugh, makes him feel even just the slightest bit better. Victor gets up to meet Yuuri too, but Yuuri’s already entering the bedroom with Makkachin at his heels. Yuuri’s voice is soft and hesitant when he says, “Victor?”

“Yes,  _ solnyshko _ ?” Victor says as he sits up on the bed. “What is it?”

Yuuri doesn’t answer immediately, walking instead to sit beside Victor. He looks happy, with a smile on his face, and Victor hates himself for instantly feeling a wave of  _ deja vu _ . His unblocked scent betrays his apprehension to Yuuri, who immediately stiffens. Still, Victor doesn’t hesitate to sit closer to Yuuri and take the omega’s hand in his, flashing Yuuri a questioning look until the omega finally speaks up. “I’ve talked to my professors - I’ll take next term’s courses online. Will you be okay with staying for one more month here in Zurich?”

“Of course, Yuuri. That’s not a problem at all,” Victor replies, but there’s still a question in his voice. 

Thankfully, Yuuri catches on. “After that...I want to go back to Japan,” he says. “I...want to give birth there.”

Victor nods, still waiting for more, but Yuuri looks like he’s finished talking. So he acknowledges the elephant in the room himself. “Do you want me there with you?”

Yuuri sputters. “W-what? Of course I want you there! That is...sorry, I shouldn’t have just assumed you wanted to...”

Victor sees the needless apologies and Yuuri’s insecurities attacking from a mile away - things he thought he’d assuaged when they were still together the first time around. He grabs Yuuri by the shoulder and pulls him into an embrace, whispering into the omega’s ear, “I’d love to be there with you,  _ solnyshko. _ I could even sign an affidavit of paternity acknowledgment if we need it.”

“You don’t need to do that. I’m already asking too much of you, helping me with the pregnancy. I can’t ask you to...to raise a child that’s not your own.” 

Hearing those words from Yuuri again makes him groan in frustration. Does nothing get through this man? Victor takes a deep breath and looks Yuuri in the eye. “I’m not going anywhere, Yuuri. Not without you. You should understand that by now, no?”

“I know,” the omega says softly. “I understand, Victor. But…” Yuuri says something in Japanese under his breath - something Victor has more or less understood as “how do I say this” after hearing it several times. “I understand, but I don’t…” He pauses again, finding the word, before finally saying, “I don’t believe.”

Victor doesn’t bother to suppress his sigh. “Yuuri...”

“Please don’t misunderstand. I believe in your love, Victor. I do.”

“What’s the problem, then? If you believe in that...”

“I don’t believe in myself!” Yuuri cries out. “I didn’t plan ahead. I haven’t even told _okaasan_ that you’re coming with me. I don’t know what to do when I get to Japan with you in tow. The only plan I had when I found out was leaving the baby with my parents while I came back to Zurich to finish my studies. I’m _selfish_ , Victor. I’m only being an inconvenience to everyone...”

“Yuuri, please,” Victor says calmly as he tightens his hold on the omega, “I know you feel that way. Your parents and everyone who cares about you do, too. They’ll always help you in your time of need.”

“It still doesn’t change the fact...”

“That you’re being a bother to them? Yuuri.” He moves his arms so he’s holding Yuuri’s cheeks in his palms. “Yuuri. They don’t care.  _ I  _ don’t care. We’re here for you because we love you.  _ I  _ love you.”

The last three words make Yuuri’s eyes well with tears, and this time Yuuri’s the one to pull Victor into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry Victor, I still love you too, I’ve always loved you, I never stopped, I messed up, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have left you...” 

Yuuri goes off on a whole litany of apologies as he cries into Victor’s shoulder, but the only thing Victor catches is... “So you still love me?”

“Wh-What?”

Victor repeats again, this time with hope and cautious joy in his eyes. “You said you still love me. Do you mean it?”

Yuuri’s red-rimmed eyes widen with shock. “O-of course, did you think I stopped…?”

Victor doesn’t let him finish, instead pulling the omega into a short but punishing kiss, then letting go only to grab him into another tight hug. He’s beyond ecstatic - he can feel his own heartbeat against Yuuri’s, yet his chest feels so much lighter. He didn’t realize just how much he needed to hear those words to relieve his own doubts and fears.

After all, with the two of them, love always wins.

“Oh Yuuri, of course I’ll go to Japan with you! I’ll love you forever, you and our daughter, I promise you this-”

And now it’s Yuuri’s turn to cut him off with another kiss.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on [tumblr](http://gervilla.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Finished editing; 12/14/2017


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